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THE  LIBRARIES 


from  Library  of 
Prof.  C.  Babenroth 


WITH    THE    WORLD'S 
GREAT    TRAVELLERS 


PRODIGAL'S      RETURM 


PAIt^TING         BY        Sf^ADA 


CONTENTS. 


SUBJECT.  AUTHOR. 

New  Dependencies  of  the  United  States     .    .    .   Oliver  H.  G.  Leigh 
Winter  and  Summer  in  New  England    ....    Harriet  Martineau 

Niagara  Falls  and  the  Thousand  Islands Charles  Morris 

From  New  York  to  Washington  in  1866 Henry  Latham 

The  Natural  Bridge  and  Tunnel  of  Virginia     .    Edward  A.  Pollard 
Plantation  Life  in  War  Times     ....    William  Howard  Russell 

Among  Florida  Alligators S.  C.  Clarke 

In  the  Mammoth  Cave      Therese  Yelverton 

Down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi Thomas  L.  Nichols 

From  New  Orleans  to  Red  River    ....   Frederjck  Law  Olmsted 

Winter  on  the  Prairies G.  W.  Featherstonhaugh 

A  Hunter's  Christmas  Dinner     .    , J.  S.  Campion 

A  Colorado  "  Round-Up  " Alfred  Terry  Bacon 

Among  the  Cowboys Louis  C.  Bradford 

Hunting  the  Buffalo Washington  Irving 

In  the  Country  of  the  Sioux Meriwether  Lewis 

The  Great  Falls  of  the  Missouri William  Clarke 

Hunting  Scenes  in  Canadian  Woods B.  A.  Watson 

The  Grand  Falls  of  Labrador Henry  G.  Bryant 

Life  Among  the  Esquimaux William  Edward  Parry 

Fugitives  from  the  Arctic  Seas Elisha  Kent  Kane 

Rescued  from  Death W.  S.  Schley 

The  Muir  Glacier Septima  M.  Collis 

A  Summer  Trip  to  Alaska James  A.  Harrison 

The  Fort  William  Henry  Massacre Jonathan  Carver 

The  Gaucho  and  His  Horse Thomas  J.  Hutchinson 

Valparaiso  and  Its  Vicinity Charles  Darwin 

An  Escape  from  Captivity Benjamin  F.  Bourne 


List  of  Illustrations 

The  Prodigal's  Return      ....     Frontispiece 

Patriotism  .......  18 

The  Catskills.     Sunrise  from  South  Mountain  .  .      26 

New  York  and  The  Brooklyn  Bridge  ...  40 

Pennsylvania  Avenue,  Washington  .  .  .  .50 

On  the  Coast  of  Florida        .....  76 

Sunrise  from  the  Summit  of  Pike's  Peak  .  .  .116 

A  Kansas  Cyclone       ......  136 

Shoshone  Falls,  Idaho     ......     170 

MuiR  Glacier,  Alaska  .....  232 


PREFACE. 


Next  to  actual  travel;,  the  reading  of  first-class  travel 
stories  by  men  and  women  of  genius  is  the  finest  aid  to 
the  broadening  of  views  and  enlargement  of  useful  knowl- 
edge of  men  and  the  world's  ways.  It  is  the  highest  form 
of  intellectual  recreation,  with  the  advantage  over  fiction- 
reading  of  satisfying  the  wholesome  desire  for  facts.  With 
all  our  modern  enthusiasm  for  long  journeys  and  foreign 
travel,  now  so  easy  of  accomplishment,  we  see  but  very 
little  of  the  great  world.  The  fact  that  ocean  voyages  are 
now  called  mere  "trips"  has  not  made  us  over-familiar 
with  even  our  own  kinsfolk  in  our  new  dependencies.  For- 
eign peoples  and  lands  are  still  strange  to  us.  Tropic  and 
Arctic  lands  are  as  far  apart  in  condition  as  ever;  Europe 
differs  from  Asia,  America  from  Africa,  as  markedly  as 
ever.  Man  still  presents  every  grade  of  development,  from 
the  lowest  savagery  to  the  highest  civilization,  and  our 
interest  in  the  marvels  of  nature  and  art,  the  variety  of 
plant  and  animal  life,  and  the  widely  varied  habits  and 
conditions,  modes  of  thought  and  action,  of  mankind,  is  in 
no  danger  of  losing  its  zest. 

These  considerations  have  guided  us  in  our  endeavor 
to  tell  the  story  of  the  world,  alike  of  its  familiar  and  un- 
familiar localities,  as  displayed  in  the  narratives  of  those 
who  have  seen  its  every  part.  Special  interest  attaches  to 
the  stories  of  those  travellers  who  first  gazed  upon  the  won- 
ders and  observed  the  inhabitants  of  previously  unknown 
lands,  and  whose  descriptions  are  therefore  those  of  dis- 
coverers. 


PREFACE. 

One  indisputable  advantage  belongs  to  this  work  over 
the  average  record  of  travel:  the  reader  is  not  tied  down 
to  the  perusal  of  a  one-man  book.  He  has  the  privilege 
of  calling  at  pleasure  upon  any  one  of  these  eminent  travel- 
lers to  recount  liis  or  her  exploit,  with  the  certainty  of  find- 
ing they  are  all  in  their  happiest  vein  and  tell  their  best 
Btories. 

The  adventures  and  discoveries  here  described  are  gath- 
ered from  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe,  and  include  the 
famous  stories  of  men  no  longer  living,  as  well  as  those 
of  present  activity.  Many  of  the  articles  were  formerly 
published  in  the  exhaustive  work  entitled,  "The  World's 
Library  of  Literature,  History  and  Travel''  [The  J.  B. 
Lippincott  Co.,  Philadelphia]. 

For  the  rich  variety  and  quality  of  our  material  we  are 
indebted  to  many  travellers  of  note,  and  to  the  courtesy  of 
numerous  publishers  and  authors.  Among  these  it  is  de- 
sired to  acknowledge  particularly  indebtedness  to  the  fol- 
lowing publishers  and  works:  To  Harper  and  Brothers, 
for  selections  from  Stanley's  "Through  the  Dark  Conti- 
nent," Du  Chaillu's  "Equatorial  Africa,"  Prime's  "Tent- 
Life  in  the  Holy  Land,"  Orton's  "The  Andes  and  the  Ama- 
zon," and  Browne's  "An  American  Family  in  Germany." 
To  Charles  Scribner's  Sons :  Stanley's  "In  Darkest  Africa," 
Field's  "The  Greek  Islands,"  and  Schley's  "The  Rescue  of 
Greely."  To  G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons :  De  Amicis's  "Holland 
and  its  People,"  Taylor's  "Lands  of  the  Saracens,"  and 
Brace's  "The  New  West."  To  Houghton,  Mifflin  and  Co. : 
Melville's  "In  the  Lena  Delta,"  and  Hawthorne's  "Our 
Old  Home."  To  Roberts  Brothers :  Hunt's  "Bits  of  Travel 
at  Home."  To  H.  C.  Coates  and  Co. :  Leonowen's  "Life 
and  Travel  in  India."     Equal  tribute  is  offered  to  the  au- 


PREFACE. 

thors  who  have  courteously  permitted  the  use  of  their  ma- 
terial, and  in  these  acknowledgments  we  include  Charles 
Morris,  editor  of  the  above  work,  and  Oliver  H.  Gr.  Leigh, 
whose  pen  has  won  honors  in  various  fields,  for  their  special 
contributions  to  this  edition. 


WITH   THE   WORLD'S 
GREAT  TRAVELLERS. 


NEW  DEPENDENCIES  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

OLIVEE  H.  G    LEIGH. 

[The  trend  of  events  makes  it  certain  that  our  geographical 
knowledge  is  going  to  be  enlarged  by  personal  investigation.  The 
boom  of  Dewey's  big  guns  sent  us  to  our  school-books  with  mixed 
feelings  as  to  the  practical  value  of  much  of  our  alleged  learning. 
The  world  suddenly  broadened  as  we  gazed  in  surprise.  Hawaii 
invited  itself  into  the  circle  of  new  relations.  The  near  West 
Indies  and  the  remote  Philippines  craved  peculiar  attentions. 
Whether  moved  by  commercial  zeal,  official  duty  or  the  profit- 
able curiosity  of  pleasure  or  scientific  investigation,  he  is  in 
the  highest  sense  a  patriotic  benefactor  of  his  own  country  and 
the  land  he  visits,  who  devotes  his  energies  to  making  Ameri- 
cans more  intimately  acquainted  with  the  communities  now 
linked  with  the  most  powerful  of  nations.] 

The  scope  of  holiday  travel,  or  tours  of  profitable  inves- 
tigation, has  been  widely  extended  by  the  new  relationship 
between  the  United  States  and  Hawaii,  now  included  in 
its  possessions,  and  the  former  Spanish  islands  over  which 
it  exercises  a  kindly  protectorate.  Through  the  usual  chan- 
nels public  sentiment  is  being  formed  upon  the  resources 
and  responsibilities  of  the  new  dependencies.  Many  will 
be  attracted  to  Cuba,  Porto  Eico,  Hawaii,  and  even  to  the 
remote  Philippines,  by  considerations  of  a  practical  kind. 
No  truer  patriotic  motive  can  inspire  the  American  trav- 
eller than  the  desire  to  develop  the  natural  resources,  and, 
by  consequence,  the  social  welfare  of  a  dependent  com- 

9 


10  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Leigh 

munity.  Whether  bent  on  business,  pleasure,  or  official 
duty  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  the  prospective 
voyager,  and  the  friends  he  leaves  behind  him,  will  profit 
by  these  gatherings  from  the  impressions  and  experiences 
of  former  travellers. 

The  approach  to  Havana  at  daybreak  overwhelms  the 
senses  with  the  gorgeous  beauties  of  the  sky  and  landscape. 
Foul  as  the  harbor  may  be  with  city  drainage  it  seems  a 
silvery  lake  encircled  with  the  charms  of  Paradise  and 
over-arched  with  indescribable  glories  of  celestial  forms 
and  hues  and  ever-changing  witcheries  wrought  by  the 
frolicsome  sun  in  his  ecstasy  of  morning  release.  Strange 
that  where  nature  most  lavishes  her  wealth  of  charms  and 
favors,  the  listlessness  of  perverse  man  responds  in  un- 
grateful contrasts  rather  than  in  harmonies.  Havana  has 
the  interest  of  age,  with  the  drawbacks  incident  to  hered- 
itary indifference  to  progressive  change.  As  in  all  im- 
portant cities  there  are  sharp  contrasts  in  its  quarters. 
With  long  avenues  of  stately  mansions,  marble-like  and 
colonnaded,  and  exquisitely  designed  courtyards,  there  are 
unpaved  thoroughfares  with  an  open  sewer  in  the  mid- 
roadway,  flanked  by  tenement  houses  with  a  family  in 
each  room.  Most  of  Havana's  two  hundred  thousand  citi- 
zens live  in  one-story  buildings,  lacking  conveniences  which 
the  poorest  American  considers  necessities.  The  older 
streets  are  mere  alleys,  about  twenty  feet  wide,  of  which 
the  sidewalks  take  up  seven.  Light  and  ample  ventila- 
tion are  obtained  by  grated  window-openings  without 
frames  or  glass.  The  dwellings  and  public  buildings 
throughout  Cuba  are  planned  to  give  free  passage  to  every 
zephyr  that  wafts  relief  from  the  oppressive  heat.  This  is 
not  because  the  thermometer  mounts  much  higher  than  it 
does  in  the  United  States,  for  it  never  touches  the  records 
of  our  great  cities,  where  a  hundred  in  the  shade  is  not 


Leigh]  :NEW  DEPENDENCIES  OF  THE  U.  8.  11 

unknown.  From  80  to  50  degrees  is  the  year's  average, 
and  it  is  this  steady  continuance  of  warmth  that  tries 
strength  and  temper. 

In  the  better  districts  of  Havana  the  driveways  are 
twenty-three  feet  and  the  sidewalks  about  ten  feet  wide. 
Politeness  keeps  native  and  foreign  men  hopping  up  and 
down  the  foot  deep  curb  to  allow  ladies  a  fair  share  of 
elbow-room  on  the  pavements.  Your  guest-chamber  in 
a  well-to-do  family  residence  has  probably  a  window  twenty 
by  eight  feet,  sashless,  but  with  several  lace  curtains  and 
shutters  to  suit  the  weather.  The  walls  are  tinted  with 
the  Spaniard's  eye  for  rich  color  display,  the  massive  fur- 
niture is  solid  carved  old  mahogany,  and  the  graceful  mos- 
quito curtains  suggest  experiences  better  left  untold. 
House-rent  is  high,  owing  to  the  heavy  taxation,  which  will 
doubtless  be  modified  after  American  administration  has 
put  the  city  in  a  sanitary  condition.  Flour  used  to  cost 
the  poorer  classes  from  two  to  three  times  its  price  in  the 
United  States. 

Before  we  leave  the  capital  for  the  interior  we  must 
note  two  or  three  of  the  time-mellowed  edifices,  which 
give  the  flavor  of  old-world  medisevalism  to  the  island. 
The  gloomy  Morro  Castle  is  familiar  in  the  chronicles  of 
the  war.  It  stands  guard  at  the  water-gate  of  the  city, 
a  grim-visaged  dungeon  that  echoes  with  the  despairing 
groans  of  more  victims  of  cruel  oppression  than  can  ever 
be  counted.  A  more  cheerful  landmark  is  the  old  Cathedral, 
looking  as  if  it  dates  further  back  than  1724,  cooped  up 
in  its  crowded  quarter.  Here  rest  the  ashes  of  Colum- 
bus, say  the  faithful,  and  they  are  probably  right.  He 
died  in  Spain  May  20,  1506.  In  1856  his  bones  were 
brought  to  San  Domingo  and  from  there  were  transferred 
in  January,  1796,  to  this  Cathedral,  where  they  rest  in 
the  wall  behind  the  bust  and  tablet  to  his  memory.     The 


12  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Leigh 

elaborate  monument  under  the  dome  is  a  splendid  work 
of  art.  Four  life-size  sculptured  ecclesiastics  bear  a  sar- 
cophagus on  their  shoulders.  There  is  also  a  supposed  por- 
trait bust  on  a  mural  tablet. 

The  Spanish  element  in  the  city  is  popularly  said  to 
be  an  exaggeration  of  the  old  country  quality.  The  Tacon 
theatre  holds  three  thousand  people.  Cafes  and  restau- 
rants abound,  and  never  lack  customers.  Some  day  Ha- 
vana may  be  transformed  into  a  nearer  Paris,  with  a  larger 
American  colony  than  haunts  the  dearer  city  across  the 
sea.  Cuba  has  nearly  the  same  area  as  England.  The 
Province  of  Havana  has  a  population  of  452,000,  of  whom 
107,500  are  black.  Large  tracts  of  the  island  have  not 
yet  been  explored.  The  long  years  of  intermittent  bat- 
tling between  the  Cubans  and  Spaniards  have  grievously 
hindered  progress  in  all  directions.  Xature  is  bountiful 
beyond  belief,  yet  her  overtures  have  been  scorned,  partly 
because  of  native  inertia,  but  mainly  through  dread  of  loss. 
Both  sides  have  been  guilty  of  laying  waste  vast  areas 
of  cultivated  land,  ruining  its  husbandmen,  capitalists  and 
laborers  alike.  The  millennium  bids  fair  to  come  before 
long.  Peace  is  restoring  confidence.  The  reign  of  justice 
will  bring  capital  and  labor  back  to  the  soil  and  tempt 
American  migration  to  the  cities  and  towns,  where  life 
can  be  lived  so  enjoyably  by  those  who  bring  modern  meth- 
ods and  ideas  to  bear  in  the  task  of  converting  a  man- 
made  wilderness  into  an  alluring  paradise.  Not  long  ago 
an  American  bought  seventy  acres  of  ground  in  Trinidad 
valley,  which  he  cleared  and  planted  at  a  cost  of  $3,070 
for  the  first  year.  The  second  year's  cultivation  cost 
$1,120.  He  made  it  a  banana  orchard.  At  the  end  of 
the  second  year  he  had  realized  $30,680  net  profit  by 
the  sale  of  his  crop  of  54,000  bunches. 


Leigh]  NEW  DEPENDENCIES  OF  THE  U.  S.  13 

Havana  has  the  cosmopolitan  air.  Clubs,  cafes,  and  en- 
tertainments abound  and  flourish.  Its  suburbs  and  near- 
by towns  afford  all  the  allurements  the  modern  city-man 
seeks  in  country  life.  The  rural  charms  of  Marianao  are 
unsurpassed  in  any  land.  Ornately  simple  architecture 
marks  the  columned  houses  of  its  best  street.  Around  it 
are  the  cosy  cottages  in  their  luxuriant  gardens,  and  beyond 
these  the  open  country,  a  veritable  Eden  of  foliage,  flow- 
ers and  fruit.  In  one  spot  a  famous  old  banyan  tree 
has  thrown  out  its  limbs,  thrusting  them  deep  into  the  soil 
till  they  have  sprouted  and  spread  over  a  five-acre  field. 

As  we  traverse  the  garden  landscape  in  any  settled  part 
of  the  island,  and  in  Porto  Eico,  we  note  the  habits  of 
the  rustic  native  in  his  interesting  simplicity.  Poor 
enough  in  all  conscience,  but  wonderfully  contented  with 
his  crust  of  bread,  his  cigarette,  the  family  pig,  bananas 
for  the  pickaninnies'  staple  fare,  and  the  frequent  sips 
of  rum  which  are  to  the  West  Indian  laborer  what 
beefsteak  is  to  the  American  toiler.  He  is  by  no  means 
a  drunkard,  and  if  he  lacks  book-learning  he  excels  in 
some  civic  virtues  of  the  homelier  kind,  and  is  not  extrava- 
gant in  his  tailor-bills.  The  children's  costume  is  usually 
that  of  Eve  before  the  fall,  and  the  apparel  of  a  goodly 
family  might  be  bought  for  the  price  of  a  dude's  red  vest. 

Cock-fighting  is  the  favorite  native  sport.  It  is  en- 
countered at  any  hour,  anywhere.  There  are  other  sports, 
such  as  boar  hunts,  spearing  fish,  not  to  mention  that  of 
killing  tarantulas,  sand-flies,  land-crabs,  and  the  gentle 
crocodile.  The  thousand  miles  of  steam  railway  in  Cuba 
are  unevenly  distributed.  From  Havana  the  trip  through 
Pinar  del  Eio  gives  an  astounding  revelation  of  the  wealth 
of  forest  and  soil  and  mines.  Devastated  as  so  much  of 
this  country  was  during  the  long  years  of  dragging  war. 


14  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Leigh 

its  charms  of  scenery  and  possibilities  of  development  will 
work  its  speedy  salvation.  A  single  acre  of  choice  land 
has  produced  $3,000  worth  of  tobacco. 

Two  crops  of  corn  and  two  of  strawberries  grow  each 
year,  vegetables  and  many  fruits  are  superabundant,  yet 
wheat  and  flour  aye  imported,  and  cotton,  besides  other 
important  staples,  can  be  successfully  cultivated. 

Journeying  to  the  charming  Isle  of  Pines,  and  then 
south  and  east  through  Matanzas,  Santa  Clara,  and  Puerto 
Principe  to  Santiago,  there  is  the  same  invitation  of  Na- 
ture to  come  and  enjoy  all  that  makes  earth  lovely.  The 
island  is  dotted  with  towns  large  and  small  having  much 
the  same  characteristics  as  Havana.  Her  virgin  forests 
have  some  of  the  richest  woods  known  to  commerce.  Her 
hills  hold  stores  of  iron,  copper,  coal  and  other  minerals. 
Her  soil  is  ready  to  peld  many-fold  to  the  courageous  cul- 
tivator. When  the  swords  have  been  turned  into  plough- 
shares and  the  spears  to  j)runing-hooks,  there  will  come  a 
new  day  for  the  native  Cuban.  He  will  feel  himself  lib- 
erated from  the  hindering  rancors  and  jealousies,  inevit- 
able in  the  light  of  recent  history,  which  alone  now  stand 
between  his  beautiful  island  and  the  prosperity  that  hov- 
ers, waiting  his  encouragement  to  alight.  Then  the  trav- 
eller will  return  with  reports  of  Havana  rejuvenated,  her 
harbor  dredged  and  purified,  her  highways  paved,  homes 
made  healthy  and  the  whole  island  lifted  to  the  higher 
and  happier  plane  that  will  give  the  Pearl  of  the  Antilles 
its  rightful  setting  among  the  other  gems  of  God's  earth. 

Porto  Eico,  the  "rich  port,"  so  named  by  Columbus, 
came  gladly  under  the  American  flag.  Its  population  of 
about  900,000  has  had  a  sorrv  time  for  three  hundred  vears. 
They  have  been  steeped  in  spiritless  poverty  from  first  to 
last,  so  used  to  the  oppressors  yoke  that  ambition  seems 
to  have  been  crushed.     Yet  their  island  is  an  earthly  para- 


LeighI  2fEW  DEPENDENCIES  OF  THE  U.  S.  15 

dise,  save  for  its  rain-storms  and  occasional  droughts. 
It  is  rich  in  undeveloped  mineral  deposits  and  splendid 
forests.  Nature  has  helped  to  discourage  native  effort 
by  providing  the  means  of  sustenance  over-lavishly,  in 
one  sense.  The  people  scattered  through  the  interior  find 
everything  ready  grown  to  hand.  The  bulk  of  the  popula- 
tion throng  the  shore  areas  and  are  as  listlessly  happy 
with  the  minimum  of  life's  necessaries  as  are  the  animals. 

Spain  has  left  its  mark  upon  the  island,  a  mark  rep- 
resenting a  civilization  not  to  be  sneered  at,  though  not 
of  the  modern  stamp.  Eange  through  the  island's  lovely 
valleys,  struggle  up  its  mountain  slopes  to  isolated  ham- 
lets where  primitive  life  lingers  in  all  its  bewildering  un- 
loveliness;  thread  the  rude  thoroughfare  of  its  picturesque 
towns,  and  you  will  come  upon  replicas  of  the  familiar 
Spanish  church,  the  symbol  and  centre  of  an  ever  potent 
influence  for  good.  With  all  its  faults,  this  local  haven  of 
peace  and  good  cheer  has  tempered  the  lot  of  generations 
that  never  fully  realized  the  hopelessness  of  their  fate. 
A  venerable  church  peeping  out  of  a  leafy  glade  gives  a 
touch  of  poetic  grace  to  the  landscape.  It  is  something, 
perhaps,  though  not  very  much,  that  sectarian  animosities 
do  not  embitter  the  easy  minds  of  these  peasants,  who  dwell 
together  in  enviable  fraternity. 

Porto  Rico  is  only  one  of  some  thirteen  hundred  islands 
in  the  "West  Indies  that  are  now  in  the  American  fold. 
It  has  several  large  towns  that  will  intensely  interest  the 
traveller.  San  Juan,  with  twenty-five  'thousand  inhabi- 
tants, is  the  principal  city.  A  fine  old  military  road  runs 
from  it  across  the  mountains  to  Ponce,  on  the  south  shore. 
It  is  twenty  feet  wide,  hard  and  dustless,  winds  along 
through  eighty  miles  of  scenery  unsurpassed  in  any  coun- 
try, though  the  island  is  only  forty  miles  directly  across. 


16  WORLD'S  ORE  AT  TRAVELLERS.  [Leigh 

Every  considerable  town  has  its  cathedral.  That  at 
Sabana  Grande  was  built  in  1610.  Some  of  them  have 
gorgeous  altars  and  precious  paintings.  In  one  little 
church  the  figure  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  is  of  pure  gold. 
Another  has  an  altar  of  silver. 

The  retail  stores  in  the  cities  make  little  or  no  front 
display.  The  store  is  virtually  a  sample  room,  with  ex- 
tensive warehouses  in  the  rear.  Town  life  is,  in  its  way, 
Parisian.  The  cathedral  stands  in  a  square  or  park,  the 
promenade  and  gossiping  ground  for  both  sexes.  The 
midday  siesta  is  the  rule,  a  two  hours'  cessation  from  the 
round  of  toil.  The  evenings  are  given  to  music  and 
dancing,  or  the  merry  chatter  of  groups  as  they  enjoy  the 
strains  of  the  band.  The  lacy  mantilla  adds  grace  to  the 
generally  captivating  beauty  of  the  women,  as  they  cun- 
ningly drape  it  over  their  heads  to  take  the  place  of  hats. 
The  palms  and  cocoa-nut  trees,  the  clusters  of  coffee-trees, 
the  sugar-cane,  the  groves  of  oranges,  lemons,  bananas,  and 
other  fruits  lend  great  beauty  to  the  landscape.  Tobacco 
is  largely  cultivated,  with  plenty  of  inducements  for  a 
more  systematic  treatment  of  a  commodity  which  ought 
greatly  to  increase  the  wealth  of  the  island. 

Since  it  has  come  under  American  influence  many 
improvements  have  been  effected.  The  cities  are  treated 
to  the  modern  system  of  drainage,  and  roads  have  been 
constructed  which  will  make  traffic  between  the  towns 
easier  and  thus  encourage  trade. 

Exceptionally  fierce  hurricanes  and  floods  wrought  havoc 
with  many  plantations  soon  after  the  war.  Other  mis- 
fortunes plunged  the  always  poor  laboring  class  into  abso- 
lute starvation,  many  of  the  well-to-do  were  ruined,  and 
business  has  been  severely  hampered  by  questions  of  tariff 
arising  out  of  the  change  in  political  status.     The  United 


Leigh]  NEW  DEPENDENCIES  OF  TEE  U.  8.  11 

States  government  has  done  much  and  will  continue  its 
kindly  endeavors  to  ameliorate  the  condition  of  these  peo- 
ple. With  the  speedy  return  of  good  times  there  ought 
to  be  a  growing  stream  of  pleasure  as  well  as  business 
traffic  to  an  island  so  exceptionally  rich  in  the  natural 
features  which  give  fresh  delight  to  the  travelled  eye  and 
unfold  a  new  world  of  charm  to  the  fortunate  ©nes  who 
go  abroad  for  the  first  time. 

Honolulu,  the  capital  of  the  Hawaiian  group,  has  long 
been  an  American  city  in  all  but  name.  The  geographical 
position  of  the  islands  destined  them  to  come  within  the 
pale  of  our  civilization.  Within  a  century  the  natives 
have  been  transformed  from  a  state  of  animalism  into  a 
self-respecting,  progressive  people.  While  the  aborigines 
have  been  rapidly  dying  out  there  has  been  a  steady 
influx  of  new  blood  from  various  sources.  The  popula- 
tion is  about  120,000,  immigrants  from  Japan  and  Portu- 
gal forming  a  considerable  proportion  of  the  laboring 
class.     Chinese  immigration  has  been  restricted. 

The  traveller  might  almost  imagine  himself  in  some 
New  England  or  Pennsylvania  town  as  he  drives  through 
the  streets  of  Honolulu.  The  capital  is  laid  out  on  the 
American  plan,  the  churches  and  houses  might  have  been 
transplanted  by  a  cyclone,  and  the  very  attire  of  the  peo- 
ple in  general  keeps  up  the  illusion  of  being  at  home 
from  home.  The  palace  of  the  last  king  and  queen  bears 
as  little  relation  to  the  hut  of  their  great  predecessor, 
Kamehameha  the  First,  as  do  the  New  York  tailor-made 
suits  and  dresses  of  the  citizens  of  Honolulu  to  the  scanty 
loin-cloth  which  their  grandparents  considered  the  height 
of  Sandwich  Islands  fashion. 

More  and  more  will  these  lovely  isles  become  the  pleas- 
ure-grounds for  our  people  and  for  all  world-tourists.     The 

Vol.    1—2 


18  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Leigh 

important  practical  value  of  their  annexation  will  be  bet- 
ter understood  if  it  ever  becomes  necessary  to  back  up  the 
essential  principle  of  the  Monroe  Doctrine  against  foreign 
foes.  As  a  grovt'ing  metropolis  Honolulu  has  charms  of 
its  own  independent  of  the  ideal  climate  and  luxuriant 
flora  of  the  twelve  islands. 

The  narratives  of  the  first  travellers  to  Owhyee,  as 
they  styled  it,  glowed  with  descriptions  of  the  voluptuous 
charms  of  the  natives,  whose  life  was  a  round  of  pleas- 
ure, untempered  by  the  wholesome  necessity  for  hard  toil. 
li  was  a  lotos  land  for  all  who  sojourned  there.  The 
harmful  consequences  of  unwholesome  ease  are  not  yet 
eradicated.  Christianity  has  achieved  almost  miraculous 
triumphs,  and  the  conditions  of  modern  life  in  crowded 
communities  are  helping  to  harden  the  native  tempera- 
ment. The  leper  colony  in  Molokai  is  one  of  several  sad 
sights  which  are,  perhaps,  better  left  unseen.  Also  the 
clandestine  Saturnalia  still  kept  up  on  the  old  lines,  with 
some  winking  or  dozing  on  the  part  of  natives  in  authority. 

Trips  can  be  made  to  the  surrounding  islands,  famous 
for  their  volcanic  mountains  and  tropical  verdure.  The 
largest  active  crater  in  the  world  is  that  of  Kilauea,  being 
nine  miles  in  circumference,  with  vertical  sides  about  one 
thousand  feet  deep  and  at  the  bottom  a  lake  of  molten  lava, 
boiling  furiously  in  some  parts  and  throwing  off  fibres  like 
spun  silk  which  float  in  the  air.  These  craters  are  apt 
to  break  into  activity  without  warning. 

City  life  in  Honolulu,  as  already  remarked,  can  almost 
delude  a  fSoutherner  into  fancying  himself  at  home.  It 
is  quite  cosmopolitan  in  its  degree.  There  are  well- 
equipped  hotels,  an  English  library,  street  railways,  elec- 
tric lights,  telephones,  insurance  offices,  colonies  and  clubs 
of  American  and  British  lawyers,  business  men,  physicians 
and  journalists.     Modern  progress  is  strikingly  impressed 


PAT-RIO-riSM 


A  photogravure  reproductimt  of  one  of  a  series  of  eight  panels  in 
the  Librajy  of  Congress  at  Washington,  representing  '•*•  The  Vir- 
tues'*'*—  Fortitude,  Justice,  Patriotism,  Courage,  Temperance,  Pru- 
dence, Industry  and  Concord.  <<  Patriotism  **  is  here  represented 
as  feeding  an  eagle,  the  emblem  of  America,  from  a  golden  bowl, 
symbolizing  the  nourishment  given  by  this  Virtue  to  the  spirit  ef 
the  nation. 


Leigh]  ^EW  DEPENDENCIES  OF  TEE  V.  S.  19 

on  the  visitor  who  draws  his  own  picture  of  the  primitive 
semi-savages  he  expects  to  see,  when  he  hears  the  familiar 
hum  of  mills  and  factories,  the  roar  and  pounding  noises 
of  foundries,  and  the  imposing  array  of  wharves  and  ves- 
sels. Hawaii  is  a  natural  hub  of  the  wheel  of  world- 
trafhc.  From  its  ports  there  is  a  large  and  fast-growing 
steamship  trade  with  the  principal  commercial  centres 
all  over  the  globe.  We  shall  pass  from  Honolulu  round 
to  the  Philippines  in  the  easiest  fashion.  One  is  sur- 
prised at  the  number  of  Chinese  and  Japanese  laborers  in 
Hawaii,  some  of  whom  have  prospered  and  own  large 
business  establishments.  The  foreign  element  in  the  labor 
field  has  been  a  source  of  mild  trouble  but  is  now  in  a 
fair  way  to  solve  itself.  A  gratifying  feature  is  the  public 
school  system.  Everywhere  are  centres  of  light  and  learn- 
ing, promising  a  grand  future  for  the  island  population. 
The  abundant  yield  of  rice,  sugar,  coffee,  bananas,  and 
other  foodstuffs  is  mostly  bought  for  the  American  people. 

The  pleasures  and  pains  of  the  voyage  to  the  Philippines 
have  been  the  subject  of  too  many  public  letters  since  the 
war  to  need  re-telling.  The  two  thousand  islands  which, 
form  the  little-known  archipelago  are  the  homes  of  a 
number  of  mixed  tribes,  with  whom  the  traveller  will 
not  crave  intimate  acquaintance  for  some  time.  In  Luzon, 
the  chief  island,  we  may  feel  fairly  at  home,  now  that 
its  all  but  pathless  wilds,  as  well  as  its  long-settled  towns 
and  hamlets,  are  sprinkled  with  American  soldiers.  In 
time,  doubtless,  scientific  exploration  will  approximately 
fix  the  value  of  the  mineral  and  arable  fields  of  the  archi- 
pelago. Until  knowledge  increases  in  this  direction  there 
will  not  be  much  inducement  to  roam  among  peoples  with 
questionable  manners,  strange  religions  and  outlandish 
dialects.     The  Tagal  folk  has  reached,  as  regards  the  more 


20  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Leigh 

favored  class,  a  high  degree  of  civilization.  The  Malay 
blood  has  peculiarities  of  its  own.  Under  long-continued 
Spanish  rule  the  Luzon  native  has  developed  intellectually 
and  nurtured  an  ambition  for  self-government.  This  half- 
amicable,  half-hostile  relationship  between  the  Spanish 
friars,  who  have  been  the  spiritual,  and  perhaps  still  more 
the  civic,  trainers  and  masters  of  the  natives,  is  a  most 
interesting  study  for  the  newly  arrived  visitor. 

Landing  at  Manila,  the  commercial  centre  and  capital 
of  the  islands,  we  find  ourselves  in  a  city  blending  the 
characteristics  of  an  old-fashioned  Spanish  town  with  the 
mild  business  air  of  a  third-rate  western  port.  The  build- 
ings speak  of  the  tropical  perils  to  be  encountered.  Dew- 
ey's bombardment  was  more  generous  than  the  earthquakes 
and  gales  that  smote  the  Cathedral.  These  visitations  come 
oftener  than  those  of  angels.  Houses  are  built  low  and 
massively  on  the  ground  floor,  to  insure  that  a  one-story 
home  shall  remain  when  the  upstairs  section  flies  away. 
Terrific  gales  come  unannounced  and  life  is  temporarily 
suspended  until  it  is  possible  to  swim  into  the  streets 
and  rake  in  the  flotsam  and  jetsam  that  once  lodged  within 
your  walls.  Periodical  rains  lend  variety  to  the  novice's 
experience.  They  descend  in  Niagaras,  giving  free  and 
wholesome  baths  to  the  many  who  need  them  and  to  those 
■who  need  them  not,  and  give  the  mud  lanes  that  serve 
for  streets  a  timely  cleaning  up.  The  rainfall  record 
lias  shown  as  much  as  114  inches  in  a  year. 

Your  hotel  will  be  the  perfection  of  cleanliness,  but  the 
window  openings  are  vast  and  glass-panes  are  unknown. 
The  mahogany  bedstead  is  bedless,  a  mat  of  woven  cane 
strips,  bare  of  everything  that  can  encourage  warmth  or 
harbor  little  neighbors,  but  winged  visitors  float  in  to 
remind  the  sleeper  he  is  not  in  the  Waldorf-Astoria,  and 
then  depart,  perhaps.     By  day  life  can  be  very  enjoyable. 


Leigh]  NEW  DEPENDENCIES  OP  THE  U.  8.  21 

Churches,  which  are  largely  art-galleries  also,  fine  squares 
and  promenades,  fashionable  drives,  town  clubs  and  coun- 
try clubs,  shared  by  the  American,  English,  and  Germaa 
business  men,  these  and  other  aids  to  happiness  flourish 
in  Manila  and  suburbs. 

The  general  aspect  of  Philippine  scenery  to  the  untu- 
tored eye  of  a  stranger  resembles  the  tropical  views  already 
described,  allowance  being  made  for  differing  conditions. 
When  the  fortunes  of  war  brought  the  islands  within  our 
ken  the  principal  trade  was  divided  between  Spain  and 
outside  countries.  The  treaty  of  1898  brought  the  archi- 
pelago into  closer  trade  relations,  with  mutual  advantages. 
When  Aguinaldo,  the  Tagal  leader,  declared  his  allegiance 
to  the  United  States,  the  fact  assured  the  establisliment 
of  a  friendly  arrangement  which  in  time  will  bring  high 
prosperity  to  the  islands  and  civilization  to  their  people. 
The  two  hundred  thousand  who  live  in  and  around  Manila 
are  mainly  Christians. 

Generally  the  natives  with  whom  we  are  in  closest  con- 
tact are  a  civil  and  good-tempered  people.  Picturesque  in 
costume,  or  the  lack  of  it,  they  share  with  the  scenery 
around  the  characteristic  freedom  from  commonplace. 
Prolonged  familiarity  with  modern  methods  of  culture 
will  take  much  of  the  charm  out  of  life  in  the  Philip- 
pines, replacing  it,  no  douht,  with  the  practical  methods 
which  conduce  to  progress.  A  voyage  to  these  distant 
islands  affords  a  rare  opportunity  to  trace  the  process  of 
evolution  from  the  simple  and  natural  to  the  complex 
machinery  which  is  grinding  organized  society  into  drab- 
tinted  duplications  of  a  rather  uninteresting  original. 


22  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.    [Martinbati 


WINTER  AND  SUMMER  IN  NEW  ENGLAND. 

HARRIET   MARTINEAU. 

[The  "Society  in  America"  and  the  "Retrospect  of  Western 
Travel,"  by  Harriet  Martineau,  contain  many  interesting  pictures  of 
life  and  scenery  in  the  United  States.  Of  the  descriptive  passages  of 
the  latter  work  we  select  that  detailing  her  experience  of  winter  weather 
in  Boston,  which  she  seems  to  have  looked  upon  with  true  English 
€yes,  and  not  with  the  vision  of  one  "  to  the  manner  born."] 

I  BELIEVE  no  one  attempts  to  praise  the  climate  of  New 
England.  The  very  low  average  of  health  there,  the  prev- 
alence of  consumption  and  of  decay  of  the  teeth,  are  evi- 
dences of  an  unwholesome  climate  which  I  believe  are 
universally  received  as  such.  The  mortality  among  chil- 
dren throughout  the  whole  country  is  a  dark  feature  of 
life  in  the  United  States.  .  .  .  Wherever  we  went  in  the 
i^orth  we  heard  of  the  "  lung  fever"  as  a  common  com- 
plaint, and  children  seemed  to  be  as  liable  to  it  as  grown 
persons. 

The  climate  is  doubtless  chiefly  to  bTame  for  all  this,  and 
I  do  not  see  how  anv  degree  of  care  could  obviate  much 
of  the  evil.  The  children  must  be  kept  warm  within- 
doors ;  and  the  only  way  of  affording  them  the  range  of 
the  house  is  by  warming  the  whole,  from  the  cellar  to  the 
garret,  by  means  of  a  furnace  in  the  hall.  This  makes  all 
■comfortable  within  ;  but,  then,  the  risk  of  going  out  is  very 
^reat.  There  is  far  less  fog  and  damp  than  in  England, 
and  the  perfectly  calm,  sunny  days  of  midwinter  are  en- 
durable ;  but  the  least  breath  of  wind  seems  to  chill  one's 
very  life.  I  had  no  idea  what  the  suffering  from  extreme 
cold  amounted  to  till  one  day,  in  Boston,  I  walked  the 


Martineau]  winter  AND  SUMMER.  23 

length  of  the  city  and  back  again  in  a  wind,  with  the  ther- 
mometer seven  degrees  and  a  half  below  zero.  I  had  been 
warned  of  the  cold,  but  was  anxious  to  keep  an  appoint- 
ment to  attend  a  meeting.  We  put  on  all  the  merinoes  and 
furs  we  could  muster,  but  we  were  insensible  of  them  from 
the  moment  the  wind  reached  us.  My  muff  seemed  to  be 
made  of  ice ;  I  almost  fancied  I  should  have  been  warmer 
without  it.  "We  managed  getting  to  the  meeting  pretty 
well,  the  stock  of  warmth  we  had  brought  out  with  us  last- 
ing till  then.  But  we  set  out  cold  on  our  return,  and  by 
the  time  I  got  home  I  did  not  very  well  know  where  I  was 
and  what  I  was  about.  The  stupefaction  from  cold  is  par- 
ticularly disagreeable,  the  sense  of  pain  remaining  through 
it,  and  I  determined  not  to  expose  myself  to  it  again.  All 
this  must  be  dangerous  to  children  ;  and  if,  to  avoid  it,  they 
are  shut  up  through  the  winter,  there  remains  the  danger 
of  encountering  the  ungenial  spring.  .  .  . 

Every  season,  however,  has  its  peculiar  pleasures,  and 
in  the  retrospect  these  shine  out  brightly,  while  the  evils 
disappear. 

On  a  December  morning  you  are  awakened  by  the 
domestic  scraping  at  your  hearth.  Your  anthracite  fire 
has  been  in  all  night ;  and  now  the  ashes  are  carried  away, 
more  coal  is  put  on,  and  the  blower  hides  the  kindly  red 
from  you  for  a  time.  In  half  an  hour  the  fire  is  intense, 
though,  at  the  other  end  of  the  room,  everything  you  touch 
seems  to  blister  your  fingers  with  cold.  If  you  happen  to 
turn  up  a  corner  of  the  carpet  with  your  foot,  it  gives  out 
a  flash,  and  your  hair  crackles  as  you  brush  it.  Breakfast 
is  always  hot,  be  the  weather  what  it  may.  The  coffee  is 
scalding,  and  the  buckwheat  cakes  steam  when  the  cover  is 
taken  off.  Your  host's  little  boy  asks  whether  he  may  go 
coasting  to-day,  and  his  sisters  tell  you  what  days  the 
schools  will  all  go  sleighing.    You  may  see  boys  coasting  on 


24  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.     [Martineait 

Boston  Common  all  the  winter  day  through,  and  too  many 
in  the  streets,  where  it  is  not  so  safe. 

To  coast  is  to  ride  on  a  board  down  a  frozen  slope,  and 
many  children  do  this  in  the  steep  streets  which  lead  down 
to  the  Common,  as  well  as  on  the  snowy  slopes  within  the 
enclosure  where  no  carriages  go.  Some  sit  on  their  heels 
on  the  board,  some  on  their  crossed  legs.  Some  strike 
their  legs  out,  put  their  arms  akimbo,  and  so  assume  an  air 
of  defiance  amid  their  velocity.  Others  prefer  lying  on 
their  stomachs,  and  so  going  headforemost,  an  attitude 
whose  comfort  I  could  never  enter  into.  Coasting  is  a 
wholesome  exercise  for  hardy  boys.  Of  course,  they  have 
to  walk  up  the  ascent,  carrying  their  boards  between  every 
feat  of  coasting;  and  this  affords  them  more  exercise  than 
they  are  at  all  aware  of  taking. 

As  for  the  sleighing,  I  heard  much  more  than  I  experi- 
enced of  its  charms.  No  doubt  early  association  has  some- 
thing to  do  with  the  American  fondness  for  this  mode  of 
locomotion,  and  much  of  the  affection  which  is  borne  to 
music,  dancing,  supping,  and  all  kinds  of  frolic  is  trans- 
ferred to  the  vehicle  in  which  the  frolicking  parties  are 
transported.  It  must  be  so,  I  think,  or  no  one  would  be 
found  to  prefer  a  carriage  on  runners  to  a  carriage  on 
wheels,  except  on  an  untrodden  expanse  of  snow.  On  a 
perfectly  level  and  crisp  surface  I  can  fancy  the  smooth, 
rapid  motion  to  be  exceedingly  pleasant ;  but  such  surfaces 
are  rare  in  the  neighborhood  of  populous  cities.  The  un- 
certain, rough  motion  in  streets  hillocky  with  snow,  or  on 
roads  consisting  for  the  season  of  a  ridge  of  snow  with 
holes  in  it,  is  disagreeable  and  provocative  of  headache.  I 
am  no  rule  for  others  as  to  liking  the  bells;  but  to  me 
their  incessant  jangle  was  a  great  annoyance.  Add  to  this 
the  sitting,  without  exercise,  in  a  wind  caused  by  the  rapid- 
ity of  the  motion,  and  the  list  of  desagremens  is  complete. 


Martinkau]  winter  and  SUMMER.  25 

I  do  not  know  the  author  of  a  description  of  sleighing 
which  was  quoted  to  me,  but  I  admire  it  for  its  fidelity. 
"  Do  you  want  to  know  what  sleighing  is  Uke  ?  You  can 
soon  try.  Set  your  chair  on  a  spring-board  out  on  the 
porch  on  Christmas-day;  put  your  feet  in  a  pailful  of 
powdered  ice ;  have  somebody  to  jingle  a  bell  in  one  ear, 
and  somebody  else  to  blow  into  the  other  with  the  bellows, 
and  you  will  have  an  exact  idea  of  sleighing." 

[This  quotation  would  appear  to  be  a  variant  of  Dr.  Franklin's 
recipe  for  sleighing.  As  for  Miss  Martineau's  experience  "  behind  the 
bells,"  it  seems  to  have  been  very  unfortunate.] 

If  the  morning  be  fine,  you  have  calls  to  make,  or  shop- 
ping to  do,  or  some  meeting  to  attend.  If  the  streets  be 
coated  with  ice,  you  put  on  your  India-rubber  shoes — un- 
soled — to  guard  you  from  slipping.  If  not,  you  are  pretty 
sure  to  measure  your  length  on  the  pavement  before  your 
own  door.  Some  of  the  handsomest  houses  in  Boston, 
those  which  boast  the  finest  flights  of  steps,  have  planks 
laid  on  the  steps  during  the  season  of  frost,  the  wood  being 
less  slippery  than  stone.  If,  as  sometimes  happens,  a  warm 
wind  should  be  suddenly  breathing  over  the  snow,  you  go 
back  to  change  your  shoes,  India-rubbers  being  as  slippery 
in  wet  as  leather  soles  are  on  ice.  [It  must  be  borne  in 
mind  that  the  writer  is  speaking  of  the  rubber  shoes  of 
sixty  years  ago.]  Nothing  is  seen  in  England  like  the 
streets  of  Boston  and  New  York  at  the  end  of  the  season, 
while  the  thaw  is  proceeding.  The  area  of  the  street  had 
been  so  raised  that  passengers  could  look  over  the  blinds 
of  your  ground-floor  rooms ;  when  the  sidewalks  become 
full  of  holes  and  puddles  they  are  cleared,  and  the  pas- 
sengers are  reduced  to  their  proper  level ;  but  the  middle 
of  the  street  remains  exalted,  and  the  carriages  drive  along 
a  ridge.     Of  course,  this  soon  becomes  too  dangerous,  and 


26  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.     [Martiwbau 

for  a  season  ladies  and  gentlemen  walk ;  carts  tumble,  slip, 
and  slide,  and  get  on  as  they  can  ;  while  the  mass,  now 
dirty,  not  only  with  thaw,  but  with  quantities  of  refuse 
vegetables,  sweepings  of  the  poor  people's  houses,  and  other 
rubbish  which  it  was  difficult  to  know  what  to  do  with 
while  every  place  was  frozen  up,  daily  sinks  and  dissolves 
into  a  composite  mud.  It  was  in  New  York  and  some  of 
the  inferior  streets  of  Boston  that  I  saw  this  process  in  its 
completeness. 

If  the  morning  drives  are  extended  beyond  the  city  there 
is  much  to  delight  the  eye.  The  trees  are  cased  in  ice ;  and 
when  the  sun  shines  out  suddenly  the  whole  scene  looks 
like  one  diffused  rainbow,  dressed  in  a  brilliancy  which  can 
hardly  be  conceived  of  in  England.  On  days  less  bright, 
the  blue  harbor  spreads  in  strong  contrast  with  the  sheeted 
snow  which  extends  to  its  very  brink.  .  .  . 

The  skysights  of  the  colder  regions  of  the  United  States 
are  resplendent  in  winter.  I  saw  more  of  the  aurora 
borealis,  more  falling  stars  and  other  meteors,  during  my 
stay  in  New  England  than  in  the  whole  course  of  my  life 
before.  Every  one  knows  that  splendid  and  mysterious 
exhibitions  have  taken  place  in  all  the  Novembers  of  the 
last  four  years,  furnishing  interest  and  business  to  the 
astronomical  world.  The  most  remarkable  exhibitions 
were  in  the  Novembers  of  1833  and  1835,  the  last  of  which 
I  saw.  .  .  . 

On  the  17th  of  November  in  question,  that  of  1835,  I 
was  staying  in  the  house  of  one  of  the  professors  of  Har- 
vard University  at  Cambridge.  The  professor  and  his  son 
John  came  in  from  a  lecture  at  nine  o'clock,  and  told  us 
that  it  was  nearly  as  light  as  day,  though  there  was  no 
moon.  The  sky  presented  as  yet  no  remarkable  appear- 
ance, but  the  fact  set  us  telling  stories  of  skysights.  A 
venerable  professor  told  us  of  a  blood-red  heaven  which 


CATSKIl-LS  — SUMRISE      RRO  M      SOUTH 
MOU  MTAI  N 


From      a      Steeu      Ri-ate: 


Martinkau]  winter  AND  SUMMER.  27 

shone  down  on  a  night  of  the  year  1789,  when  an  old  lady 
interpreted  the  whole  French  Eevolution  from  what  she 
saw.  None  of  us  had  any  call  to  prophesying  this  night. 
John  looked  out  from  time  to  time  while  we  were  about  the 
piano,  but  our  singing  had  come  to  a  conclusion  before  he 
brought  us  news  of  a  very  strange  sky.  It  was  now  near 
eleven.  We  put  cloaks  and  shawls  over  our  heads,  and 
hurried  into  the  garden.  It  was  a  mild  night,  and  about 
as  light  as  with  half  a  moon.  There  was  a  beautiful  rose- 
colored  flush  across  the  entire  heavens,  from  southeast  to 
northwest.  This  was  every  moment  brightening,  contract- 
ing in  length,  and  dilating  in  breadth. 

My  host  ran  off  without  his  hat  to  call  the  Natural  His- 
tory professor.  On  the  way  he  passed  a  gentleman  who 
was  trudging  along,  pondering  the  ground.  "  A  remark- 
able night,  sir,"  cried  my  host.  "  Sir  I  how,  sir  ?"  replied  the 
pedestrian.  "  Why,  look  above  your  head !"  The  startled 
walker  ran  back  to  the  house  he  had  left  to  make  every- 
body gaze.  There  was  some  debate  about  ringing  the 
college-bell,  but  it  was  agreed  that  it  would  cause  too  much 
alarm. 

The  Natural  Philosophy  professor  came  forth  in  curious 
trim,  and  his  household  and  ours  joined  in  the  road.  One 
lady  was  in  her  nightcap,  another  with  a  handkerchief 
tied  over  her  head,  while  we  were  cowled  in  cloaks.  The 
sky  was  now  resplendent.  It  was  like  a  blood-red  dome,  a 
good  deal  pointed.  Streams  of  a  greenish-white  light  radi- 
ated from  the  centre  in  all  directions.  The  colors  were  so 
deep,  especially  the  red,  as  to  give  an  opaque  appearance 
to  the  canopy ,  and  as  Orion  and  the  Pleiades  and  many 
more  stars  could  be  distinctly  seen,  the  whole  looked  like 
a  vast  dome  inlaid  with  constellations.  These  skysights 
make  one  shiver,  so  new  are  they,  so  splendid,  so  mys- 
terious.    We  saw  the  heavens  grow  pale,  and  before  mid- 


28  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.    [Mabtinkaxj 

night  believed  that  the  mighty  show  was  over ;  but  we  had 
the  mortification  of  hearing  afterwards  that  at  one  o'clock 
it  was  brighter  than  ever,  and  as  light  as  day. 

Such  are  some  of  the  wintry  characteristics  of  New 
England. 

If  I  lived  in  Massachusetts,  my  residence  during  the  hot 
months  should  be  beside  one  of  its  ponds.  These  ponds 
are  a  peculiarity  in  New  England  scenery  very  striking  to 
the  traveller.  Geologists  tell  us  of  the  time  when  the 
valleys  were  chains  of  lakes  ;  and  in  many  parts  the  eye 
of  the  observer  would  detect  this  without  the  aid  of  science. 
There  are  many  fields  and  clusters  of  fields  of  remarkable 
fertility,  lying  in  basins,  the  sides  of  which  have  much  the 
appearance  of  the  greener  and  smoother  of  the  dykes  of 
Holland.  These  suggest  the  idea  of  their  having  been 
ponds  at  the  first  glance.  Many  remain  filled  with  clear 
water,  the  prettiest  meres  in  the  world.  A  cottage  on 
Jamaica  Pond,  for  instance,  within  an  easy  ride  of  Boston, 
is  a  luxurious  summer  abode.  I  know  of  one  unequalled  in 
its  attractions,  Avith  its  flower-garden,  its  lawn,  with  banks 
shelving  down  to  the  mere, — banks  dark  with  nestling  pines, 
from  under  whose  shade  the  bright  track  of  the  moon  may 
be  seen,  lying  cool  on  the  rippling  waters.  A  boat  is 
moored  in  the  cove  at  hand.  The  cottage  itself  is  built  for 
coolness,  and  the  broad  piazza  is  draperied  with  vines, 
which  keep  out  the  sun  from  the  shaded  parlor. 

The  way  to  make  the  most  of  a  summer's  day  in  a  place 
like  this  is  to  rise  at  four,  mount  your  horse  and  ride 
through  the  lanes  for  two' hours,  finding  breakfast  ready 
on  your  retuim.  If  you  do  not  ride,  you  slip  down  to  the 
bathing-house  on  the  creek ;  and,  once  having  closed  the 
door,  have  the  shallow  water  completely  to  yourself,  care- 
fully avoiding  going  beyond  the  deep-water  mark,  where 
no  one  knows  how  deep  the  mere  may  be.     After  break- 


Marti  WE  Au}  WINTER  AND  SUMMER.  29 

fast  you  should  dress  your  flowers,  before  those  you  gather 
have  quite  lost  the  morning  dew.  The  business  of  the 
day,  be  it  what  it  may,  housekeeping,  study,  teaching, 
authorship,  or  charity,  will  occupy  you  till  dinner  at  two. 
You  have  your  dessert  carried  into  the  piazza,  where, 
catching  glimpses  of  the  mere  through  the  wood  on  the 
banks,  your  watermelon  tastes  cooler  than  within,  and 
you  have  a  better  chance  of  a  visit  from  a  pair  of  hum- 
ming-birds. 

You  retire  to  your  room,  all  shaded  with  green  blinds,  lie 
down  with  a  book  in  your  hands,  and  sleep  Roundly  for  two 
hours  at  least.  When  you  wake  and  look  out,  the  shadows 
are  lengthening  on  the  lawn,  and  the  hot  haze  has  melted 
away.  You  hear  a  carriage  behind  the  fence,  and  conclude 
that  friends  from  the  city  are  coming  to  spend  the  evening 
with  you.  They  sit  within  till  after  tea,  telling  you  that 
you  are  living  in  the  sweetest  place  in  the  world.  When 
the  sun  sets  you  all  walk  out,  dispersing  in  the  shrubbery 
or  on  the  banks.  When  the  moon  shows  herself  above  the 
opposite  woods,  the  merry  voices  of  the  young  people  are 
heard  from  the  cove,  where  the  boys  are  getting  out  the 
boat.  You  stand,  with  a  companion  or  two,  under  the 
pines,  watching  the  progress  of  the  skiff  and  the  receding 
splash  of  the  oars.  If  you  have  any  one,  as  I  had,  to  sing 
German  popular  songs  to  you,  the  enchantment  is  all  the 
greater.  Y'ou  are  capriciously  lighted  home  by  fireflies, 
and  there  is  your  table  covered  with  fruit  and  iced  lemonade. 
When  your  friends  have  left  you  you  would  fain  forget  it 
is  time  to  rest,  and  your  last  act  before  you  sleep  is  to  look 
out  once  more  from  your  balcony  upon  the  silvery  mere 
and  moonlit  lawn. 

The  only  times  when  I  felt  disposed  to  quarrel  with  the 
inexhaustible  American  mirth  was  on  the  hottest  days  of 
summer.    I  liked  it  as  well  as  ever ;  but  European  strength 


30  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.    [Martineau 

will  not  stand  more  than  an  hour  or  two  of  laughter  in 
Buch  seasons.  I  remember  one  day  when  the  American 
part  of  the  company  was  as  much  exhausted  as  the  Eng- 
lish. We  had  gone,  a  party  of  six,  to  spend  a  long  day 
with  a  merry  household  in  a  country  village,  and,  to  avoid 
the  heat,  had  performed  the  journey  of  sixteen  miles  before 
ten  o'clock.  For  three  hours  after  our  arrival  the  wit  was 
in  full  flow  ;  by  which  time  we  were  all  begging  for  mercy, 
for  we  could  laugh  no  longer  with  any  safety.  Still,  a  little 
more  fun  was  dropped  all  round,  till  we  found  that  the 
only  way  was  to  separate,  and  we  all  turned  out  of  doors. 
I  cannot  conceive  how  it  is  that  so  little  has  been  heard 
in  England  of  the  mirth  of  the  Americans  ;  for  certainly 
nothing  in  their  manner  struck  and  pleased  me  more.  One 
of  the  rarest  characters  among  them,  and  a  great  treasure 
to  all  his  sportive  neighbors,  is  a  man  who  cannot  take  a 
joke. 

The  prettiest  playthings  of  summer  are  the  humming- 
birds. I  call  them  playthings  because  they  are  easily  tamed, 
and  are  not  very  difficult  to  take  care  of  for  a  time.  It  is 
impossible  to  attend  to  book,  work,  or  conversation  while 
there  is  a  humming-bird  in  sight,  its  exercises  and  vagaries 
are  so  rapid  and  beautiful.  Its  prettiest  attitude  is  vi- 
brating before  a  blossom  which  is  tossed  in  the  wind.  Its 
long  beak  is  inserted  in  the  flower,  and  the  bird  rises  and 
falls  with  it,  quivering  its  burnished  wings  with  dazzling 

rapidity.    My  friend  E told  me  how  she  had  succeeded 

in  taming  a  pair.     One  flew  into  the  parlor  where  she  was 

sitting,  and  perched.    E 's  sister  stepped  out  for  a  branch 

of  honeysuckle,  which  she  stuck  up  over  the  mirror.     The 
other  bird  followed,  and  the  pair  alighted  on  the  branch, 

flew  off,  and  returned  to  it.    E procured  another  branch, 

and  held  it  on  the  top  of  her  head  ;  and  thither  also  the 
little  creatures  came  without  fear.     She  next  held  it  in  her 


Morris]     NIAGARA   AND   THE   THOUSAND  ISLANDS.      31 

hand,  and  still  they  hovered  and  settled.  They  bore  being 
shut  in  for  the  night,  a  nest  of  cotton-wool  being  provided. 
Of  course,  it  was  impossible  to  furnish  them  with  honey- 
suckles enough  for  food ;  and  sugar-and-water  was  tried, 
which  they  seemed  to  relish  very  well. 

One  day,  however,  when  E was  out  of  the  room,  one 

of  the  little  creatures  was  too  greedy  in  the  saucer;  and, 

when  E returned,  she  found  it  lying  on  its  side,  with  its 

wings  stuck  to  its  body  and  its  whole  little  person  clammy 

with  sugar.     E tried  a  sponge  and  warm  water :  it  was 

too  harsh  ;  she  tried  old  linen,  but  it  was  not  soft  enough ; 
it  then  occurred  to  her  that  the  softest  of  all  substances  is 
the  human  tongue.  In  her  love  for  her  little  companion 
she  thus  cleansed  it,  and  succeeded  perfectly,  so  far  as  the 
outward  bird  was  concerned.  But  though  it  attempted  to 
fly  a  little,  it  never  recovered,  but  soon  died  of  its  surfeit. 
Its  mate  was,  of  course,  allowed  to  fly  away. 


NIAGARA  FALLS  AND  THE  THOUSAND  ISLANDS. 

CHARLES   MORRIS. 

[Among  travellers'  descriptions  of  the  natural  marvels  of  this  con- 
tinent, much  has  been  written  of  perhaps  the  greatest  of  them  all,  the 
celebrated  cataract  of  the  Niagara  River.  The  Thousand  Islands  have 
also  excited  much  admiration.  Fortunately,  these  two  scenic  wonders 
are  sufficiently  contiguous  to  be  dealt  with  in  one  record,  and  the 
compiler  of  the  present  work  ventures  to  give  his  own  impressions 
of  them,  from  a  printed  statement  made  some  twenty-five  years  ago.] 

Who  has  not  read  in  story  and  seen  in  picture,  countless 
times,  how  the  water  goes  over  at  Niagara  ?  I  came  here 
expecting  to  find  every  curve  and  plunge  of  the  river  ap- 
pealing like  a  household  thing  to  my  memory.      So   in 


32  IVORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Morrio 

great  measure  it  proved,  yet  travellers  never  succeed  in 
exhausting  a  situation  in  their  narratives ;  something  of 
the  unexpected  always  remains  to  freshen  the  sated  appe- 
tite of  new-comers. 

Tourists  are  apt  to  be  disappointed  at  first  sight  of  the 
cataract.  Their  expectations  have  been  overwhetted  ;  and, 
moreover,  the  first  glance  is  usually  obtained  from  the 
American  shore,  an  edgewise  view  that  gives  but  an  ink- 
ling of  the  full  majesty  of  the  scene.  Yet  even  from  this 
point  of  view  we  behold  the  river,  almost  at  our  feet,  rush- 
ing with  concentrated  energy  to  the  brink  of  the  precipice, 
and  pouring  headlong,  in  an  agony  of  froth  and  foam,  into 
a  fearful  void,  from  which  forever  rises  a  rainbow-crowned 
mist.  To  stand  on  the  brink  and  gaze  into  this  terrible 
abyss,  with  the  foaming  waters  plunging  in  a  white  wall 
downward,  is  apt  to  rouse  an  undefined  desire  to  east 
one's  self  after  the  torrent,  while  minute  by  minute  the 
mind  grows  into  a  realization  of  the  sublimity  of  Niagara. 

But  to  behold  the  cataract  in  the  fulness  of  its  might 
and  glory  one  must  cross  to  the  Canadian  shore,  and  make 
his  way  on  foot  from  the  bridge  westward.  Carriages  will 
be  found  in  abundance,  manned  by  drivers  more  importu- 
nate than  mellifluous ;  but  if  the  tourist  would  see  the 
Falls  at  leisure  and  from  every  point  of  view,  he  must  be 
obdurate,  and  resolutely  foot  his  way  along  the  river's  pre- 
cipitous bank. 

First,  arriving  opposite  the  American  Fall,  we  seat  our- 
selves under  a  tree,  and  gaze  with  admiration  on  this  mag- 
nificent water  front,  spread  before  us  in  one  broad,  straight 
sheet  of  milk-white  foam,  swooping  ever  downward  with 
graceful  undulations,  until  beaten  into  mist  on  the  rocks 
below. 

Passing  onward,  we  approach  that  grand  curved  reach 
of  falling  water,  whose  sublime  aspect  has  been  a  fruitful 


Morris]     NIAGARA   AND   THE   THOUSAND  ISLANDS.      33 

theme  for  poet  and  artist  since  America  has  had  poetry 
and  art.  The  Horseshoe  Fall  is  the  paragon  of  cataracts. 
Sitting  on  what  remains  of  Table-Rock,  and  gazing  on  the 
tumbling,  heaving,  foaming  world  of  waters,  which  seem 
to  fill  the  whole  horizon  of  vision,  the  mind  becomes  op- 
pressed with  a  feeling  of  awe,  and  realizes  to  its  full  extent 
nature's  grandest  vision. 

With  one  vast  leap  the  broad  river  shoots  headlong  into 
an  abyss  whose  real  depth  we  are  left  to  imagine,  since  the 
feet  of  the  cataract  are  forever  hidden  in  a  white  cloud  of 
mist,  shrouded  in  a  dense  veil  which  no  eye  can  penetrate. 
At  the  centre  of  the  curve,  where  the  water  is  deepest,  the 
creamy  whiteness  of  the  remainder  of  the  cataract  is  re- 
placed by  a  hue  of  deep  green.  It  seems  one  vast  sheet  of 
hquid  emerald,  curving  gracefully  over  the  edge  of  the 
precipice,  and  swooping  downward  with  endless  change 
yet  endless  stability,  its  green  tinge  relieved  with  countless 
flecks  of  white  foam. 

The  mind  cannot  long  maintain  its  high  level  of  appre- 
ciation of  so  grand  a  scene.  The  mighty  monotony  of  the 
view  soon  loses  its  absorbing  hold  on  the  senses,  and  from 
sheer  reaction  one  perforce  passes  to  prosaic  conceptions 
of  the  situation.  For  our  part,  we  found  ourselves  pur- 
chasing popped  corn  from  a  peripatetic  merchant  who 
ludicrously  misplaced  the  h's  in  his  conversation,  and, 
taking  a  seat  above  the  Falls,  where  the  edge  of  the  rapids 
swerved  in  and  broke  in  mimic  billows  at  our  feet,  we 
enjoyed  mental  and  creature  comforts  together. 

One  need  but  return  to  the  American  side,  and  cross  to 
the  islands  which  partly  fill  the  river  above  the  Falls,  to 
obtain  rest  for  his  overstrained  brain  among  quieter  aspects 
of  nature.  Goat  Island  one  cannot  appreciate  without  a 
Yisit.     Travellers,  absorbed  in  the  wilder  scenery,  rarely  do 

justice  to  its  peculiar  charm.     Instead  of  the  contracted 

Vol.  1—3 


34  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Morris 

space  one  is  apt  to  expect,  he  finds  himself  in  an  area  of 
many  acres  in  extent,  probably  a  mile  in  circumference,  its 
whole  surface  to  the  water's  edge  covered  with  dense  forest. 
Passing  inward  from  its  shore,  scarce  twenty  steps  are 
taken  before  every  vestige  of  the  river  is  lost  to  sight,  and 
on  reaching  its  centre  we  find  ourselves,  to  all  appearance, 
in  the  heart  of  a  primeval  forest, — only  the  subdued  roar 
of  the  rapids  reminding  us  of  the  grand  scene  surround- 
ing. On  all  sides  rise  huge  trunks  of  oaks  and  beeches, 
straight,  magnificent  trees,  many  of  the  beeches  seem- 
ingly from  six  to  eight  feet  in  circumference,  their  once 
smooth  bark  covered  inch  by  inch  with  a  directory  of  the 
names  of  notoriety-loving  visitors.  At  our  feet  wild  flow- 
ers bloom,  the  twittering  of  birds  is  heard  overhead,  nim- 
ble ground-squirrels  fearlessly  cross  our  path,  soft  mosses 
and  thick  grass  form  a  verdant  carpet,  and  on  all  sides 
nature  presents  us  one  of  her  most  charming  phases,  a 
picture  from  Arcadia  framed  in  the  heart  of  a  scene  of 
hurry  and  turmoil  undescribable. 

Near  the  edge  of  the  Falls  a  rickety  bridge  leads  to  a 
small  island  on  which  stands  Terrapin  Tower,  which  yields 
a  fine  outlook  upon  the  Horseshoe  Fall,  with  its  mists  and 
rainbows.  From  the  opposite  side  of  Goat  Island  we  pass 
to  the  charming  little  Luna  Teiland,  from  whose  brink  one 
may  lave  his  hand  in  the  edge  of  the  American  Fall.  From 
the  upper  end  of  Goat  Island  bridges  lead  to  the  Three 
Sisters.  These  are  small,  thickly-timbered  islands,  stand- 
ing in  the  stream  far  back  from  the  edge  of  the  precipice, 
but  in  the  very  foam  and  fume  of  the  rapids,  the  con- 
tracted stream  dashing  under  their  graceful  suspension 
bridges  with  frightful  speed  and  roar. 

From  the  bridge  joining  the  tAvo  outer  islands  one  may 
see  the  rapids  in  their  wildest  aspect.  Here  the  river, 
dashing  fiercely  onward,  plunges  over  a  shelf  of  rock  six 


Morris]     NIAGARA   AND    THE   THOUSAND  ISLANDS.      35 

or  eight  feet  deep,  and  is  tossed  upward  in  so  tumultuous 
a  turmoil  of  foam  that  the  heart  involuntarily  stops  beat- 
ing and  the  teeth  set  hard,  as  if  one  were  preparing  for 
a  desperate  conflict  with  the  fierce  power  beneath  him. 
From  every  point  on  the  shore  of  the  outer  island  the 
rapids  are  seen  heaving  and  tossing  as  far  as  the  sight  can 
reach,  like  the  waves  of  a  sea  fretted  by  contrary  winds, 
here  tossed  many  feet  into  the  air,  there  sweeping  fiercely 
over  a  long  ledge  of  rocks,  and  ever  hurrying  forward  with 
eager  speed  to  where  in  the  distance  we  see  a  long,  curved, 
liquid  edge,  with  a  light  mist  floating  upward  and  hovering^ 
in  the  air  beyond  it.  Here  one  hears  only  the  roar  of  the 
rapids.  Indeed,  anywhere  in  the  nearer  vicinity,  the  sound 
of  the  rapids  is  chiefly  heard,  the  voice  of  the  cataract 
itself  predominating  only  on  the  Canadian  side  near  the 
Horseshoe  Fall. 

Here,  on  this  outreaching  island,  I  sat  for  hours  on  the 
gnarled  trunk  of  a  fallen  tree  that  overhung  the  water, 
drinking  in  the  grandeur  and  glory  of  Niagara  with  a 
mental  thirst  that  seemed  unquenchable,  and  feeling  in  my 
soul  that  I  could  willingly  stretch  the  hours  into  days  and 
the  days  into  weeks,  and  still  descend  with  regret  from 
the  poetry  of  life  into  its  prose. 

Leaving  Niagara,  I  took  car  for  Lewistown,  the  railroad 
running  for  its  whole  length  in  full  view  of  the  river, 
whose  lofty  and  rigidly-erect  walls,  stretching  in  unbroken 
lines  for  miles  below  the  cataract,  give  striking  evidence 
of  the  vast  work  performed  by  the  stream  in  cutting  its 
way,  century  after  century,  through  the  ridge  of  solid  lime- 
stone that  separates  the  lakes.  Far  down  below  the  level 
of  the  railroad  the  water  is  seen,  placidly  winding  through 
the  deep  gorge,  or  speeding  onward  in  rapids,  its  hue  in- 
tensely green,  its  banks  as  lofty  and  precipitous  as  the  Pal- 
isades of  the  Hudson. 


36  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Morbis 

Before  Lewistown  is  reached  the  ridge  sinlis  to  the  river 
level.  At  this  point  the  cataract  began  its  long  career, 
inch  by  inch  eating  its  way  backward  through  the  former 
rapids,  until  they  were  converted  into  one  mighty  ver- 
tical downfall.  At  Lewistown  boat  is  taken  for  Toronto, 
— of  which  city  only  a  lake  view  of  warehouses  and 
church  steeples  is  seen  as  we  change  boats  for  the  lake 
journey. 

For  the  rest  of  the  day  and  evening  we  steamed  along 
in  full  view  of  the  Canadian  shore,  an  ever-changing  pano- 
rama of  farm  lands,  sandy  bluffs,  occasional  hamlets,  and 
several  towns  of  some  pretensions  to  size  and  beauty. 
Kingston,  a  city  at  the  head  of  the  lake,  is  reached  at  four 
o'clock  in  the  morning.  Immediately  after  leaving  this 
thriving  town  the  state-rooms  begin  to  disgorge  their  occu- 
pants, for  we  now  enter  the  broad  throat  of  the  St.  Law- 
rence Eiver,  and  here  the  Thousand  Islands  begin.  Who 
that  has  a  soul  beyond  cakes  and  ale  would  let  the  desire 
to  indulge  in  his  own  dreams  cheat  him  from  enjoying  one 
of  nature's  loveliest  visions  ? 

For  some  four  hours  thereafter  the  boat  runs  through 
an  uninterrupted  succession  of  the  most  beautiful  island 
scenery.  These  islands  number,  in  fact,  more  than  eighteen 
hundred,  and  are  of  every  conceivable  size  and  shape  ;  some 
so  minute  that  they  seem  but  rock  pediments  to  the  single 
tree  that  is  rooted  upon  their  surface,  while  the  rocky 
shores  of  others  stretch  for  a  mile  or  more  along  the  chan- 
nel. They  are  all  heavily  wooded,  with  here  and  there  a 
light-house,  or  a  rude  hovel,  as  the  only  indication  of  man's 
contest  with  primitive  nature. 

[This  description,  it  may  be  said,  does  not  apply  to  the  present  time, 
when  mansions  and  hotels  have  taken  possession  of  many  of  these 
islands,  and  evidences  of  man's  occupancy  are  somewhat  too  numer- 
ous.] 


Morris]     NIAGARA  AND   THE  THOUSAND  ISLANDS.      37 

Every  few  turns  of  the  wheel  reveal  some  new  feature  of 
the  scene,  unexpected  channels  cutting  through  the  centre 
of  a  long,  wooded  reach,  broad  open  spaces  studded  with 
islets,  narrow  creek-like  channels  between  rocky  island 
shores,  in  which  the  whole  river  seems  contracted  to  a 
slender  stream,  while  farther  on  the  channel  expands  to  a 
mile  in  width,  and  glimpses  of  other  channels  open  behind 
distant  islands.  Quick  turns  in  our  course  plunge  us  into 
archipelagoes,  through  which  a  dozen  channels  run  and  wind 
in  every  direction.  Sudden  openings  in  the  wooded  shore 
along  which  we  are  swiftly  gliding  yield  glimpses  of  charm- 
ing islands,  here  closing  the  view,  there  cut  by  narrow 
channels  which  reveal  more  distant  wooded  shores,  and 
lead  the  imagination  suggestively  onward  till  we  fancy 
that  scenes  of  fairy-like  beauty  lie  hidden  beyond  those 
leafy  coverts,  enviously  torn  from  our  sight  by  the  remorse- 
less onward  flight  of  the  boat.  For  hours  we  sit  in  rapt 
delight,  drinking  in  new  beauty  at  every  turn,  and  heed- 
less of  the  fact  that  the  breakfast  gong  has  long  since 
sounded,  and  the  more  prosaic  of  the  passengers  have 
allowed  their  physical  to  overcome  their  mental  hunger. 

One  tall,  long-whiskered  old  devotee  of  "  cakes  and  ale," 
hailing  from  somewhere  in  Ohio,  shaped  somewhat  like  a 
note  of  interrogation,  and  sustaining  his  character  by  ask- 
ing everybody  all  sorts  of  questions,  did  not,  I  am  positive, 
digest  his  breakfast  well,  for  I  took  a  wicked  pleasure  in 
assuring  him  that  we  had  passed  far  the  most  beautiful 
portions  of  the  scenery  while  he  was  engaged  in  absorbing 
creature  comforts,  and  that  the  world  beside  had  nothing 
to  compare  with  the  fairy  visions  he  had  lost.  Old  Buckeye, 
as  I  had  irreverently  christened  him,  wished  his  breakfast 
was  in  Hades,  and  at  once  set  out  on  a  tour  of  interrogation 
to  learn  if  he  could  not  return  by  the  same  route  and  pick 
up  the  lost  threads  of  beauty  he  had  so  idly  dropped. 


38  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Morris 

Another  of  our  fellow-passengers  was  an  English  gentle- 
man of  perfect  Lord  Dundreary  pattern,  his  every  move- 
ment being  so  suggestive  of  those  of  his  stage  counterpart 
as  to  furnish  us  an  unfailing  source  of  amusement.  At 
Prescott,  Canada,  a  New  England  college  boat-club  came 
on  board  with  their  boat,  and  highly  amused  the  passengers 
during  the  remainder  of  the  journey  with  a  long  succession 
of  comical  songs.  Three  of  them  were  sons  of  one  of  our 
venerable  New  England  professors,  one  an  unvenerable 
professor  himself,  yet  their  tanned  faces,  worn  habiliments, 
and  wild  songs  bore  so  strong  a  flavor  of  the  backwoods 
that  it  was  hard  mentally  to  locate  them  within  college 
■walls. 

We  were  roused  from  dinner  by  the  announcement  that 
the  Long  Sault  Rapid  was  at  hand,  and  gladly  deserted 
one  of  the  meanest  tables  we  had  ever  encountered  to  par- 
take of  one  of  nature's  rarest  banquets. 

The  boat  was  entering  what  seemed  a  heaving  sea,  the 
waters  lifting  into  dangerous  billows,  and  tossing  our  craft 
with  unmitigated  rudeness,  until  it  became  almost  im- 
possible to  retain  a  level  footing.  But  the  appearance  of 
these  rapids  was  different  from  what  we  had  been  led  to 
expect.  The  frightful  aspect  of  danger,  the  rapid  down- 
hill plunge  of  the  boat,  and  all  the  fear-inspiring  adorn- 
ments of  the  guide-books,  while  they  might  be  visible  from 
the  shore,  did  not  appear  to  those  on  the  deck.  Apparently 
the  boat  was  fixed  in  the  heart  of  a  watery  turmoil,  her 
onward  motion  lost  in  her  various  upward  and  sidelong 
movements,  while  as  for  fear,  its  only  evidence  lay  in  little 
shrieks  full  of  laughter,  as  the  equilibrium  of  the  craft 
was  suddenly  destroyed. 

Five  minutes  or  so  of  this  experience  carried  us  through 
the  perilous  portion  of  the  great  rapid,  and  brought  us 
into  safe  waters  again.     The  St.  Lawrence   has  various 


Latham]    FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  WASHINGTON,  1866.        39 

other  rapids  between  the  Long  Sault  and  Montreal,  diifer- 
ing  in  appearance,  some  of  them  being,  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach,  a  succession  of  crossing  and  tumbling  waves,  which 
give  the  boat  unexpected  little  heaves,  and  appear  like  the 
■waves  of  a  tossing  sea.  Here  the  water  plunges  rapidly- 
down  a  narrow  throat  between  two  islands,  there  it  curves 
round  a  rocky  shore,  on  which  it  breaks  in  ocean-like 
billows.  But  the  only  point  where  danger  becomes  ap- 
parent to  untrained  eyes  is  at  the  La  Chine  Eapids,  near 
Montreal,  where  the  river  runs  through  a  narrow  foaming 
channel  between  two  long  ridges  of  rock,  over  which  the 
water  tumbles  with  a  terrible  suggestion  of  peril. 

The  peak  of  Montreal  mountain  has  been  long  visible, 
and  now  we  rapidly  approach  the  long  line  of  Victoria 
bridge,  the  great  pride  of  Canadian  engineering.  Under 
this  we  glide  with  a  gymnast  at  the  mast-head,  whose 
erected  feet  seem  nearly  to  touch  the  bridge ;  and  in  a 
short  time  we  round  in  to  the  wharf  and  are  ashore  in  the 
largest  city  of  Canada. 


FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  WASHINGTON  IN  1866. 

HENRY   LATHAM. 

[It  is  not  our  purpose  to  enter  into  descriptions  of  the  cities  of  the 
United  States.  They  are  suflBciently  familiar  already  to  our  readers. 
But  Mr.  Latham  has  given  so  graphic  a  picture  of  the  outward  aspect 
of  the  two  leading  coast  cities  and  the  capital  of  this  country  during 
a  past  generation  that  we  have  been  tempted  to  quote  it.  It  need 
scarcely  be  said  that  this  account  represents  only  in  embryo  these  cities 
as  they  appear  to-day.] 

Safe  arrived  last  night,  after  spending  twelve  days  of 
my  life  at  sea.     I  say  last  night,  as  it  look  us  so  long  to 


40  WORLD'H  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Latham 

land  and  get  through  the  custom-house  that  it  was  dark 
before  we  reached  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel.  But  it  was 
bright  daylight  and  sunshine  as  we  steamed  up  the  splendid 
harbor  of  New  York,  a  view  which  I  should  have  been 
sorry  to  have  missed.  As  far  as  our  personal  experiences 
go,  the  custom-house  officers  of  New  York  are  not  half  so 
troublesome  as  they  are  said  to  be.  We  had  nothing  to 
smuggle,  but  there  was  a  vast  amount  of  smuggling  done 
by  some  of  our  fellow-passengers.  One  man  landed  with 
his  pocket  full  of  French  watches,  and  another  with  a 
splendid  Cashmere  shawl  round  his  neck.  The  custom- 
house officer,  searching  the  next  luggage  to  mine,  un- 
earthed two  boxes  of  cigars ;  of  course  these  were  contra- 
band. He  spoke  as  follows :  "  Which  are  the  best  ?"  Opens 
box.  "Have  you  a  light?  I  forgot;  we  must  not  smoke 
here.  Well,  I  will  take  a  few  to  smoke  after  my  supper." 
Takes  twenty  cigars,  and  passes  the  rest. 

December  H,  1866. — I  have  been  on  my  feet  all  day, 
delivering  letters  of  introduction.  These  are  plants  that 
require  to  be  put  in  early,  or  they  are  apt  to  flower  after 
the  sower  has  quitted  the  country.  The  stores  of  the 
Broadwa}''  are  the  most  wonderfully  glorified  shops  ever 
seen.  Something  between  a  Manchester  warehouse  and  a 
London  club-house. 

I  have  spent  all  my  day  in  going  to  and  fro  in  Broad- 
way, the  wonderful  street  of  New  York ;  in  ten  years' 
time  the  finest  street  in  the  world.  At  present  there  are 
Btill  so  many  small  old  houses  standing  in  line  with  the 
enormous  stores,  that  the  effect  is  somewhat  spoiled,  by 
reason  of  the  ranks  not  being  well  dressed.  Broadway 
is  now  much  in  the  condition  of  a  child's  mouth  when  cut- 
ting its  second  set  of  teeth, — slightly  gappy.  The  enor- 
mous stores  look  even  larger  now  than  they  will  do  when 
the  intervals  are  filled  up.     The  external  splendor  of  the 


NEW     YORK      AMD     -^^ 


BF700t<l_VtM       BRIOGE 


Latham]    FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  WASHINGTON,  1866.        41 

shops  is  chiefly  architectural ;  they  make  no  great  display 
of  goods  in  the  windows  ;  but  the  large  size  of  the  rooms 
within  enables  them  to  set  out  and  exhibit  many  times  the 
amount  of  goods  that  an  English  shop-keeper  shows. 

The  city  of  New  York  is  on  the  southern  point  of  Man- 
hattan Island,  having  the  East  River  running  along  one 
side,  and  the  North  River  or  Hudson  along  the  other. 
Some  day  far  in  the  future,  when  the  present  municipality 
is  purged  or  swept  away,  and  the  splendor  of  the  Thames 
Embankment  scheme  has  been  realized,  New  York  will 
probably  have  two  lines  of  quays,  planted  with  trees  and 
edged  with  warehouses,  which  will  make  it  one  of  the 
finest  cities  in  the  world.  The  business  quarter  is  at  the 
point  of  the  peninsula.  The  fashionable  quarter  is  to  the 
north,  reaching  every  year  farther  inland.  As  the  city  in- 
creases, the  stores  keep  moving  northward,  taking  posses- 
sion of  the  houses,  and  driving  the  residents  farther  back. 
The  land  is  not  yet  built  over  up  to  Central  Park,  said  to 
be  called  so  because  it  will  be  the  future  centre  of  the  city 
that  is  to  be. 

The  concentrated  crowd  that  passes  along  Broadway  in 
the  morning  "  down-town"  to  its  business,  and  back  in  the 
evening  "  up-town"  to  its  homes,  is  enormous ;  but  the 
pavements  are  bad  for  men  and  abominable  for  horses :  to- 
day I  saw  five  horses  down,  and  two  Ij'ing  dead.  At  the 
same  time,  allowance  must  bo  made  for  the  fact  that  it  has 
been  snowing  and  thawing  and  freezing  again  ;  but  as  this 
is  no  uncommon  state  of  things  in  this  climate,  why  pave 
the  streets  with  flat  stones  that  give  no  foothold  ?  The 
"street-cars"  are  the  universal  means  of  conveyance. 
These  are  omnibuses  running  on  tramways,  but  the  name 
of  omnibus  is  unknown  :  if  you  speak  of  a  "  bus''  you  are 
stared  at.  A  young  New  Yorker,  recently  returned  from 
London,  was  escorting  his  cousin  home  one  evening;  as 


42  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Latham 

the  way  was  long,  he  stopped  and  said,  "  Hold  on,  Mary, 
and  let's  take  a  bus."  "  No,  George,  not  here  in  the  street," 
the  coy  damsel  replied.  .  .  . 

We  went  to-day  to  the  top  of  Trinity  Church  tower;  a 
beautiful  panorama,  with  the  bay  of  New  York  to  the 
south,  the  city  stretching  away  northward,  and  a  great 
river  on  either  side.  But  it  was  bitterly  cold  at  the  top,  as 
we  had  heavy  snow  yesterday,  and  the  wind  was  blowing 
keenly.  We  went  also  to  the  Gold  Exchange,  and  gold 
happened  to  be  "very  sensitive"  this  morning,  in  conse- 
quence of  some  rumors  from  Mexico  which  made  it  pos- 
sible that  the  time  for  United  States  interference  was 
nearer  than  had  been  supposed.  The  noise  was  deafening ; 
neither  the  Stock  Exchange  nor  the  ring  at  Epsom  at  all 
approach  it.  All  the  men  engaged  in  a  business  which  one 
would  suppose  required  more  experience  than  any  other, 
the  buying  and  selling  of  gold,  seemed  to  be  under  twenty- 
five  years  of  age ;  most  of  them  much  younger,  some  quite 
boys.  The  reason  given  me  was  that  older  heads  could  not 
stand  the  tumult,  all  gesticulating,  all  vociferating,  every 
man  with  a  note-book  and  pencil,  crowded  round  a  ring 
in  the  centre  of  the  hall  like  a  little  cock-pit,  to  which  you 
descend  by  steps.  Every  now  and  then  a  man  rushes  out 
of  the  telegraph  corner  with  some  news,  which  oozes  out 
and  makes  the  crowd  howl  and  seethe  again.  The  hands 
of  a  big  dial  on  the  wall  are  moved  on  from  time  to  time, 
marking  the  hour  of  the  day  and  the  price  of  gold.  This 
is  the  dial  of  the  barometer  of  national  prosperity,  marked 
by  gold  instead  of  mercury.  .  .  . 

A  huge  sum  of  money  has  been  laid  out  on  Central  Park, 
the  Bois  de  Boulogne  of  New  York.  When  the  timber  has 
grown  larger  it  will  be  very  pretty.  The  ground  is  rocky, 
with  little  depth  of  soil  in  it;  this  makes  it  difficult  to  get 
the  trees  to  grow,  but,  on  the  other  hand,  gives  the  place  a 


Latham]    FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  WASHINGTON,  1S66.        43 

feature  not  to  be  found  in  our  parks  or  at  the  Bois,  in  the 
large  masses  of  brown  sandstone  cropping  up  through  the 
turf  here  and  there,  and  in  the  rocky  shores  of  the  little 
lakes. 

In  the  evening  we  went,  by  invitation  of  our  courteous 
banker,  to  the  Assembly  at  Delmonico's  rooms.  In  this  we 
consider  ourselves  highly  honored  and  introduced  to  the 
best  society  of  New  York.  The  toilets  and  the  diamonds 
were  resplendent,  and  one  figure  of  the  "  German"  (cotil- 
lon), in  which  the  ladies  formed  two  groups  in  the  centre, 
facing  inward  with  their  bright  trains  spread  out  behind 
them,  was  a  splendid  piece  of  color  and  costume.  Prince 
Doria  was  there,  and  most  of  the  magnates  of  the  city 
looked  in.  Some  of  the  wealthiest  people  in  the  room 
were  pointed  out  to  me  as  the  present  representatives  of 
the  families  of  the  old  Dutch  settlers ;  those  are  the  pedi- 
grees respected  here. 

December  20,  1866. — We  left  New  York,  having  stayed 
exactly  a  week,  and  meaning  to  return  again.  By  rail  to 
Philadelphia,  ninety-two  miles,  through  a  flat,  snow-covered 
country,  which,  under  the  circumstances,  looked  as  dismal 
as  might  be.  The  latter  part  of  our  journey  lay  along  the 
left  bank  of  the  Delaware,  which  we  crossed  by  a  long 
wooden  bridge,  and  arrived  at  the  Continental  Hotel  just 
at  dusk.  It  is  evident  we  are  moving  South.  The  waiters 
at  this  hotel  are  all  darkies. 

December  21,  1S66. — Philadelphia  is  a  most  difficult  town 
just  now  for  pedestrians,  the  door-steps  being  all  of  white 
marble  glazed  with  ice,  and  sliding  on  the  pavement  may 
be  had  in  perfection.  Spent  the  best  part  of  the  day  in 
slipping  about,  trying  to  deliver  letters  of  introduction. 
The  system  of  naming  the  streets  of  Philadelphia  and  of 
numbering  the  houses  is  extremely  ingenious,  and  answers 
perfectly  when  you  have  made  yourself  acquainted  with 


44  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Latham 

it  J  but  as  it  takes  an  ordinary  mind  a  week  to  find  it  out, 
the  stranger  who  stops  four  or  five  days  is  apt  to  execrate 
it.  All  the  streets  run  at  right  angles  to  one  another,  so 
that  a  short  cut,  the  joy  of  the  accomplished  Londoner,  is 
impossible.  It  is  a  chess-board  on  which  the  bishop's 
move  is  unknown.  Nothing  diagonal  can  be  done.  The 
city  is  ruled  like  the  page  of  a  ledger,  from  top  to  bottom 
with  streets,  from  side  to  side  with  avenues.  It  is  all  divided 
into  squares.  When  you  are  first  told  this,  a  vision  arises 
of  the  possibility  of  cutting  across  these  squares  from 
corner  to  corner.  Not  a  bit  of  it :  a  square  at  Philadelphia 
means  a  solid  block  of  houses,  not  an  open  space  enclosed 
by  buildings.  "When  you  have  wandered  about  for  some 
time,  the  idea  suggests  itself  that  every  house  is  exactly 
like  the  house  next  to  it;  although  the  inhabitants  have 
given  up  the  old  uniformity  of  costume,  the  houses  have 
not ;  and  without  this  elaborate  system  of  numbering,  the 
inhabitants  of  Philadelphia  would  never  be  able  to  find 
their  way  home. 

Nevertheless,  if  that  is  the  finest  town  in  which  its  in- 
habitants are  best  lodged,  Philadelphia  is  the  finest  town 
in  the  world.  It  lodges  a  much  smaller  population  than 
that  of  New  York  in  more  houses.  In  no  other  large 
town  are  rents  comparatively  so  cheap.  Every  decent 
workingman  can  afford  to  have  his  separate  house,  with 
gas  and  water  laid  on,  and  fitted  with  a  bath. 

We  have  been  making  a  study  of  the  negro  waiters. 
Perhaps  cold  weather  affects  them ;  but  the  first  thing 
about  them  that  strikes  you  is  the  apathetic  infantine 
feeble-minded ness  of  the  "colored  persons"  lately  called 
niggers.  I  say  nothing  of  the  seven  colored  persons,  of 
various  shades,  who  always  sit  in  a  row  on  a  bench  in  the 
hall,  each  with  a  little  clothes-brush  in  his  hand,  and  never 
attempt  to  do  anything;  I  allude  to  those  who  minister  to 


Latham]    FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  WASHINGTON,  1866.        45 

mywants  in  the  coffee-room  with  utterly  unknown  dishes. 
I  breakfasted  yesterday  off  dunfish  and  cream,  Indian 
pudding,  and  dipped  toast ;  for  dinner  I  had  a  baked  black- 
fish  with  soho  sauce,  and  stewed  venison  with  port  wine ; 
for  vegetables,  marrow,  squash,  and  stewed  tomatoes ;  and 
for  pudding,  "floating  island." 

You  see  there  is  something  exciting  about  dinner.  After 
you  have  ordered  four  courses  of  the  unknown,  and  your 
colored  person  has  gone  in  the  direction  of  the  kitchen, 
you  sit  with  the'  mouth  of  expectation  wide  open.  Some- 
times you  get  grossly  deceived.     Yesterday  F ordered 

"  jole,"  and  was  sitting  in  a  state  of  placid  doubt,  when  his 
colored  person  returned  with  a  plate  of  pickled  pork.  At 
present  I  am  quite  of  the  opinion  of  the  wise  man  who 
discovered  that  colored  persons  are  born  and  grow  in  ex- 
actly the  same  way  as  uncolored  persons  up  to  the  age  of 
thirteen,  and  that  they  then  cease  to  develop  their  skulls 
and  their  intelligence.  All  the  waiters  in  this  hotel  appear 
to  be  just  about  the  age  of  thirteen.  There  are  two  who 
in  wisdom  are  nearly  twelve,  and  one  gray-headed  old 
fellow  who  is  just  over  fourteen. 

[Our  traveller  contented  himself  in  the  way  of  sight-seeing  by  fol- 
lowing Charles  Dickens's  path  to  the  Penitentiary,  and  afterwards 
visited  Girard  College.     He  concludes  as  follows  :] 

Even  in  this  city  of  Penn  the  distinctive  marks  of 
Quakerism  are  dying  out.  The  Quaker  dress  does  not  seem 
much  more  common  in  Philadelphia  than  in  any  other 
city,  nor  do  they  use  the  "thee"  and  "thou"  in  the  streets; 
but  at  their  own  firesides,  where  the  old  people  sit,  they 
still  speak  the  old  language.  A  Quaker  in  the  streets  is 
not  to  be  distinguished  from  other  Philadelphians.  I  was 
talking  to  Mr.  C about  this,  and  he  said,  "  Let  me  in- 
troduce you  to  a  Quaker ;  I  am  a  member  of  the  church 


46  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Latham 

myself."     L was  not  quite  clear  whether  he  was  a 

Quaker  or  not.  His  parents  had  been  ;  his  sons  certainly 
were  not.  Some  of  the  best  of  the  Southern  soldiers  came 
from  the  city  of  the  Quakers.  There  is  a  story  of  a  Quaker 
girl,  who  was  exchanging  rings  with  her  lover  as  he  set 
off  to  join  the  army ;  when  they  parted  she  said,  "  Thee 
must  not  wear  it  on  thy  trigger-finger,  George." 

Dined  with  Mr.  L ,  the  publisher.     He  showed  us 

over  his  enormous  store,  which  seemed  to  be  a  model  of 
discipline  and  organization,  and  described  the  book-market 
of  America  as  being,  like  the  Union,  one  and  indivisible, 
and  opened  his  ledger,  in  which  were  the  names  of  cus- 
tomers in  every  State  in  the  Union.  He  told  us  that  he 
had  about  five  thousand  open  accounts  with  different 
American  booksellers.  His  policy  is  to  keep  in  stock 
everything  that  a  country  bookseller  requires,  fi-om  a  Bible 
to  a  stick  of  sealing-wax,  so  that  when  their  stores  get  low 
they  are  able  to  write  to  him  for  everything  they  want. 
He  contends,  as  other  Philadelphians  do,  that  New  York  is 
not  the  capital  of  America,  but  only  its  chief  port  of  im- 
port, and  that  Philadelphia  is  the  chief  centre  for  distribu- 
tion. Mr.  Hepworth  Dixon  had  been  here  not  long  before, 
and,  as  was  right  and  fitting  in  the  city  of  Quakers,  a  high 
banquet  had  been  held  in  honor  of  the  vindicator  of  William 
Penn. 

[Thence  Mr.  Latham  went  to  Baltimore,  of  which  he  describes  the 
following  old-time  experience:  "When  an  American  train  reaches 
a  town  it  does  not  dream  of  pulling  up  short  in  a  suburb,  but  advances 
slowly  through  the  streets ;  the  driver  on  the  engine  rings  a  large  bell, 
and  a  man  on  horseback  rides  in  front  to  clear  the  way.  Thus  we 
entered  Baltimore,  arrived  at  the  terminus  and  uncoupled  the  engine  ; 
and  then,  still  sitting  in  the  railway-car,  were  drawn  by  a  team  of 
horses  along  the  street-rails  to  the  terminus  of  the  Baltimore  and  Ohio 
Eailway  on  the  other  side  of  the  town. "  He  is  talking  of  antediluvian 
days.     We  have  reformed  all  that.     After  some  experience  in  duck 


Latham]    FROM  NEW  YORK  TO  WASHINGTON,  1866.        4Y 

and  partridge  shooting,  and  a  taste  of  terrapin  soup,  he  proceeded  to 
"Washington.  Of  his  varied  experience  there  we  can  give  but  a  single 
out-door  example.] 

We  went  this  morning  over  the  Capitol,  an  enormous 
edifice  still  in  progress  ;  parts  of  it  are  continually  built  on 
to,  and  rebuilt,  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  legislature.  The 
two  new  white  marble  wings  are  very  beautiful  and  nearly 
complete,  and  the  dome  is  on  the  same  scale  with  them, 
and  of  the  same  material.  The  centre  is  now  out  of  pro- 
portion since  the  wings  were  built,  and  is  of  stone,  painted 
white  to  match  the  rest  in  color  and  preserve  it  from  the 
frost.  If  the  South  had  succeeded  in  seceding  it  might 
have  sufficed ;  but  now  it  is  bound  to  grow,  and  Congress 
are  going  to  vote  the  amount  of  dollars  necessary  to  make 
the  Capitol  complete.  When  completed  it  will  be  magnifi- 
cent. 

We  are  very  unlucky  in  seeing  these  great  marble  palaces 
(for  several  of  the  public  buildings  of  Washington  are  of 
this  material)  with  the  snow  upon  the  ground.  Against 
the  pure  white  snow  they  appear  dingy ;  under  a  summer 
sun  they  must  show  to  far  greater  advantage.  What 
ancient  Athens  appeared  like,  surrounding  its  marble 
temples,  I  can  hardly  realize ;  but  the  effect  of  the  splen- 
did public  buildings  in  Washington  is  very  much  detracted 
from  by  the  sheds  and  shanties  which  are  near  them.  The 
builders  of  Washington  determined  that  it  should  be  a 
great  city,  and  staked  out  its  streets  accordingly  twice  the 
width  and  length  of  any  other  streets :  rightly  is  it  named 
the  city  of  magnificent  distances.  But  although  the 
Potomac  is  certainly  wide  enough,  and  apparently  deep 
enough,  to  justify  a  certain  amount  of  trade,  and  its  situa- 
tion is  more  central  than  that  of  Philadelphia,  the  town 
has  never  grown  to  fill  the  outlines  traced  for  it. 

To  make  a  Washington  street,  take  one  marble  temple  or 


48  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Latham 

public  office,  a  dozen  good  houses  of  brick,  and  a  dozen  of 
wood,  and  fill  in  with  sheds  and  fields.  Some  blight  seems 
to  have  fallen  upon  the  city.  It  is  the  only  place  we  have 
seen  which  is  not  full  of  growth  and  vitality.  I  have  even 
heard  its  inhabitants  tell  stories  of  nightly  pig-hunts  in  the 
streets,  and  of  the  danger  of  tumbling  over  a  cow  on  the 
pavement  on  a  dark  night ;  but  this  must  refer  to  by -gone 
times. 

One  of  the  most  curious  and  characteristic  of  the  great 
public  buildings  of  Washington  is  the  Patent  Office,  in 
which  a  working  model  is  deposited  of  every  patent  taken 
out  in  the  United  States  for  the  improvement  of  machinery. 

This  assemblage  of  specimens  is  an  exhibition  of  which 
all  Americans  are  proud,  as  a  proof  of  the  activity  of 
American  ingenuity  working  in  every  direction.  Capacity 
to  take  out  a  patent  is  a  quality  necessary  to  make  up  the 
character  of  the  perfect  citizen.  Labor  is  honorable,  but  the 
man  who  can  invent  a  labor-saving  machine  is  more  honor- 
able ;  he  has  gained  a  step  in  the  great  struggle  with  the 
powers  of  nature.  An  American  who  has  utilized  a  water- 
power  feels,  I  take  it,  two  distinct  and  separate  pleasures : 
first,  in  that  dollars  and  cents  drip  off  his  water-wheel,  and, 
secondly,  in  that  he  has  inveigled  the  water-sprites  into 
doing  his  work.  If  you  tell  an  American  that  you  are 
going  to  Washington,  his  first  remark  is  not,  "  Then  you 
will  see  Congress  sitting,"  but,  "  Mind  you  go  and  see 
the  Patent  Office." 


Pollard]      THE  NATURAL  BRIDGE  AND   TUNNEL.         49 


THE  NATURAL  BRIDGE  AND  TUNNEL  OF  VIRGINIA. 

EDWARD   A.    POLLARD. 

[The  Old  Dominion — to  give  Virginia  its  home  title — is  full  of 
natural  wonders,  some  of  them  unsurpassed  in  beauty  and  attractive- 
ness elsewhere  in  the  world.  In  number  and  variety  of  mineral 
springs  it  stands  unequalled ;  its  caverns,  Luray  and  Weyer's,  are 
rich  in  charms  of  subterranean  scenery ;  and  its  two  remarkable  ex- 
amples of  nature's  grandeur,  the  Natural  Bridge  and  Natural  Tunnel, 
are  unique  in  their  peculiar  characteristics.  Edward  A.  Pollard,  in 
his  "Virginia  Tourist,"  has  ably  described  the  various  attractions  of 
the  Old  Dominion,  and  we  select  from  this  work  his  word  picture  of 
the  Natural  Bridge.  He  made  his  way  thither  from  Lynchburg,  via 
the  James  Kiver  Canal.] 

As  the  traveller  enters  the  gap  of  the  Blue  Eidge  from 
the  east,  the  winding  courses  of  the  stage-coach  carry  him 
up  the  mountain's  side  until  he  has  gained  an  elevation  of 
hundreds  of  feet  above  the  James  Eiver,  over  the  waters 
of  which  the  zigzag  and  rotten  road  hangs  fearfully.  On 
every  side  are  gigantic  mountains  hemming  him  in  ;  there 
are  black  ravines  in  the  great  prison-house  ;  and  the  length- 
ened arms  of  the  winds  smite  the  strained  ear  with  the 
sounds  of  the  rapids  below.  While  he  looks  at  the  dis- 
tance, a  mountain  rivulet,  slight  and  glittering  from  amid 
the  primeval  forest,  dashes  across  his  path,  and,  leaping 
from  rock  to  rock,  goes  joyously  on  its  way. 

On  the  North  River  the  scenes  are  quieter.     Emersrinor 

here,  the   traveller   sees  a   beautiful   and   fertile   country 

opening  before  him,  while  still  westward  the  blue  outlines 

of  distant  mountains  in  Eockbridge  bound  his  vision.     The 

water   landscape   is    beautiful.      Lovely   valleys   debouch 

upon  the  stream  ;  there  are  peaceful  shadows  in  the  steel- 
Vol.  I— .1 


50  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Pollard 

blue  waters,  and  on  the  broad  shoulders  of  the  cattle  on 
the  banks  we  sec  the  drapery  of  the  shadows  of  the  trees 
beneath  which  they  rest.  The  fisherman  standing  leg-deep 
in  the  water  can  see  his  face  as  in  a  mirror. 

But  at  present  our  way  does  not  lie  through  these  scenes. 
The  canal-boat  is  taking  us  along  the  James  in  the  moon- 
lit night,  and  by  the  time  the  day  has  broken  we  are  within 
two  miles  of  the  Natural  Bridge.  A  rickety  team  awaits 
us  at  the  lock-house  where  we  disembark.  Through  an 
air  filled  with  golden  vapor,  and  with  the  mists  of  the 
morning  yet  hanging  in  the  trees  by  the  wayside,  we  pro- 
ceed on  our  journey.  The  old  stage-coach  lumbers  along 
under  the  thick,  overhanging  boughs  of  the  forest  pines, 
which  ever  and  anon  scrape  its  top  or  strike  in  through 
the  windows,  scattering  the  dew-drops  in  the  very  faces  of 
the  passengers,  or  perhaps  smiting  their  cheeks  with  their 
sharp-pointed  leaves. 

The  first  view  of  the  bridge  is  obtained  half  a  mile  from 
it  at  a  turn  on  the  stage-road.  It  is  revealed  with  the  sud- 
denness of  an  apparition.  Eaised  a  hundred  feet  above  the 
highest  trees  of  the  forest,  and  relieved  against  the  purple 
side  of  a  distant  mountain,  a  whitish-gray  arch  is  seen,  in 
the  eflfect  of  distance  as  perfect  and  clean-cut  an  arch  as 
its  Egyptian  inventor  could  have  defined.  The  tops  of 
trees  are  waving  in  the  interval,  the  upper  half  of  which 
we  only  see,  and  the  stupendous  arch  that  spans  the  upper 
air  is  relieved  from  the  first  impression  that  it  is  man's 
masonry,  the  work  of  art,  by  the  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  of 
soil  that  it  supports,  in  which  trees  and  shrubbery  are  firmly 
embedded, — the  verdant  crown  and  testimony  of  nature's 
great  work.  And  here  we  are  divested  of  an  imagination 
which  we  believe  is  popular,  that  the  bridge  is  merely  a 
huge  slab  of  rock  thrown  across  a  chasm,  or  some  such 
hasty  and  violent  arrangement.     It  is  no  such  thing.     The 


PEINJ  l\JSYI_VAN  I  A     AVEINJUE,    WAS  M  I  rvj  C3TO  (SI 


Pollard]      THE  NATURAL  BRIDGE  AND   TUNNEL.        51 

arch  and  whole  interval  are  contained  in  one  solid  rock ; 
the  average  width  of  that  which  makes  the  bridge  is  eighty 
feet,  and  beyond  this  the  rock  extends  for  a  hundred  feet  or 
so  in  mural  precipices,  divided  by  only  a  single  fissure,  that 
makes  a  natural  pier  on  the  upper  side  of  the  bridge,  and 
up  which  climb  the  hardy  firs,  ascending  step  by  step  on 
the  noble  rock- work  till  they  overshadow  you. 

This  mighty  rock,  a  single  mass  sunk  in  the  earth's  side, 
of  which  even  what  appears  is  stupendous,  is  of  the  same 
geological  character, — of  limestone  covered  to  the  depth  of 
from  four  to  six  feet  with  alluvial  and  clayey  earth.  The 
span  of  the  arch  runs  from  forty-five  to  sixty  feet  wide, 
and  its  height  to  the  under  line  is  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
six  feet,  and  to  the  head  two  hundred  and  fifteen  feet. 
The  form  of  the  arch  approaches  to  the  elliptical ;  the 
stage-road  which  passes  over  the  bridge  runs  from  north 
to  south,  with  an  acclivity  of  thirty-five  degrees,  and  the 
arch  is  carried  over  on  a  diagonal  line, — the  very  line  of 
all  others  the  most  difficult  for  the  architect  to  realize, 
and  the  one  best  calculated  for  picturesque  effects.  It  is 
the  proportions  of  art  in  this  wild,  strange  work  of  nature, 
its  adjustment  in  the  very  perfection  of  mechanical  skill, 
its  apparently  deliberate  purpose,  that  create  an  interest 
the  most  curious  and  thoughtful.  The  deep  ravine  over 
which  it  sweeps,  and  through  which  traverses  the  beautiful 
Cedar  Creek,  is  not  otherwise  easily  passed  for  several 
miles,  either  above  or  below  the  bridge.  It  is  needful  to 
the  spot,  and  yet  so  little  likely  to  have  survived  the  great 
fracture,  the  evidences  of  which  are  visible  around,  and 
which  has  made  a  fissure  of  about  ninety  feet  through  the 
breadth  of  a  rock-ribbed  hill,  that  we  are  at  first  disposed 
to  reflect  upon  it  as  the  work  of  man.  It  is  only  when 
we  contemplate  its  full  measure  of  grandeur  that  we  are 
assured  it  is  the  work  of  God.     We  have  the  pier,  the  arch, 


52  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Pollakd 

the  studied  angle  of  ascent ;  and  that  nothing  Ki.ght  be 
wanted  in  the  evidences  of  design,  the  bridge  is  guai-ded 
by  a  parapet  of  rocks,  uo  covered  with  fine  shrubs  and 
trees  that  a  person  traveUing  the  stage-road  running  over 
it  would,  if  not  informed  of  the  curiosity,  pass  it  unnoticed. 

But  let  him  approach  through  the  foliage  to  the  side. 
More  than  two  hundred  feet  below  is  the  creek,  apparently 
motionless,  except  where  it  flashes  with  light  as  it  breaks 
on  an  obstruction  in  the  channel ;  there  are  trees,  attain- 
ing to  grander  heights  as  they  ascend  the  face  of  the  pier ; 
and  far  below  this  bed  of  verdure  the  majestic  rock  rises 
with  the  decision  of  a  wall,  and  the  spectator  shrinks  from 
contemplating  the  grand  but  cruel  depths,  and  turns  away 
with  dizzy  sensations.  But  the  most  effective  view  is  from 
the  base  of  the  bridge,  where  you  descend  by  a  circuitous 
and  romantic  path.  Even  to  escape  from  the  hot  sun  into 
these  verdant  and  cool  bottoms  is  of  itself  a  luxury,  and  it 
prepares  you  for  the  deliberate  enjoyment  of  the  scene. 
Everything  reposes  in  the  most  delightful  shade,  set  oflT  by 
the  streaming  rays  of  the  sun,  which  shoot  across  the 
head  of  the  picture  far  above  you,  and  sweeten  with  softer 
touches  the  solitude  below. 

Standing  by  the  rippling,  gushing  waters  of  the  creek, 
and  raising  your  eyes  to  the  arch,  massive  and  yet  light 
and  beautiful  from  its  height,  its  elevation  apparently  in- 
creased by  the  narrowness  of  its  piers  and  by  its  projection 
on  the  blue  sky,  you  gaze  on  the  great  work  of  nature  in 
wonder  and  astonishment.  Yet  a  hundred  beauties  beckon 
you  from  the  severe  emotion  of  the  sublime.  When  you 
have  sustained  this  view  of  the  arch  raised  against  the  sky, 
its  black  patches  here  and  there  shaped  by  imagination 
into  grand  and  weird  figures, — among  them  the  eagle,  the 
lion's  head,  and  the  heroic  countenance  of  Washington ; 
when  you  have  taken  in  the  proportions  and  circumstances 


Pollard]      THE  NATURAL  BRIDGE  AND   TUNNEL.         53 

of  this  elevated  and  wide  span  of  rock, — so  wide  that  the 
ekies  seem  to  slope  from  it  to  the  horizon, — you  are  called 
to  investigate  other  parts  of  the  scene  which  strain  the 
emotions  less,  and  are  distributed  around  in  almost  endless 
variety. 

Looking  through  the  arch,  the  eye  is  engaged  with  a 
various  vista.  Just  beyond  rises  the  frayed,  unseamed 
wall  of  rock  ;  the  purple  mountains  stand  out  in  the  back- 
ground ;  beneath  them  is  a  rank  of  hills  and  matted  woods 
enclosing  the  dell  below,  while  the  creek  coursing  away 
from  them  appears  to  have  been  fed  in  their  recesses.  A 
few  feet  above  the  bridge  the  stream  deflects,  and  invites 
to  a  point  of  view  of  the  most  curious  effect.  Taking 
a  few  steps  backward,  moving  diagonally  on  the  course  of 
the  stream,  we  see  the  interval  of  sky  between  the  great 
abutments  gradually  shut  out;  thus  apparently  joined  or 
lapped  over,  they  give  the  effect  of  the  face  of  a  rock, 
with  a  straight  seam  running  down  it,  and  the  imagination 
seizes  the  picture  as  of  mighty  gates  closed  upon  us.  We 
are  shut  in  a  wild  and  perturbed  scene  by  these  gates  of 
hell ;  behind  and  around  us  is  the  contracted  and  high 
boundary  of  mountains  and  hills,  and  in  this  close  and 
vexed  scene  we  are  for  a  moment  prisoners. 

Now  let  us  move  across,  step  by  step,  to  a  position  front- 
ing where  these  gates  apparently  close.  Slowly  they  seem 
to  swing  open  on  unseen  and  noiseless  hinges ;  wider  and 
wider  grows  the  happy  interval  of  sky,  until  at  last  wide 
open  stands  the  gate-way  raised  above  the  forest,  resting  as 
it  were  on  the  brow  of  heaven, — a  world  lying  beyond  it, 
its  rivers  and  its  hills  expanding  themselves  to  the  light 
and  splendor  of  the  unshadowed  day. 

To  an  observer  of  both  places  a  comparison  is  naturally 
suggested  between  the  Natural  Bridge  and  Niagara  Falls 
in  respect  of  the  sublime  and  the  beautiful ;  and,  indeed, 


54  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Pollard 

as  in  this  respect  the  two  greatest  works  of  nature  on  this 
continent,  they  may  well  be  used  as  illustrations  in  our 
American  schools  of  aesthetics.  The  first  is  unique  in  its 
aspects  of  nature  like  art ;  it  is  nature  with  the  propor- 
tions of  art.  In  its  expressions  of  power,  in  its  concentra- 
tion of  emotion,  as  when  we  look  at  it  distinct  or  complete, 
it  is  truly  sublime ;  and  its  effect  is  alleviated  (for  it  is  a 
maxim  in  aesthetics  that  the  sublime  cannot  be  long  siis- 
tained)  by  the  picturesque  scenery  which  surrounds  it.  It 
is  a  greater  natural  curiosity  and  more  wonderful  than 
Niagara,  although  it  lacks  the  elements  of  sublimity  which 
the  other  has  in  sound,  and  of  the  visible,  actual  struggle 
in  which  it  displays  the  powers  of  nature.  Niagara  is  a 
living  thing,  while  the  Natural  Bridge  is  monumental.  The 
first  represents  the  sublime  as  allied  to  the  terrific, — in  con- 
templating it  we  are  overwhelmed  with  a  sense  of  our  in- 
significance ;  while  the  Natural  Bridge  associates  the  sub- 
lime with  the  pleasing  and  curious,  and,  not  transporting 
us  as  violently  as  Niagara,  entertains  us  more  equably,  and 
dismisses  us,  we  think,  with  more  distinct  and  fruitful  per- 
ceptions of  the  grandeur  and  beneficence  and  variety  of 
nature  which  have  been  distributed  in  the  picture. 

[Washington,  a  century  and  a  half  ago,  carved  his  name  at  a  high 
elevation  on  the  rock  walls  of  the  ahyss.  In  1818  these  walls  were 
climbed  to  the  top  by  James  H.  Piper,  a  student  of  Washington  Col- 
lege, Virginia.  The  narrative  here  given  of  this  daring  feat  is  from 
the  pen  of  William  A.  Caruthers.] 

Mr.  Piper,  the  hero  of  the  occasion,  commenced  climbing 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  creek  from  the  one  by  which 
the  pathway  ascends  the  ravine.  He  began  down  on  the 
banks  of  the  brook  so  far  that  we  did  not  know  where  he 
had  gone,  and  were  only  apprised  of  his  whereabouts  by 
his  shouting  above  our  heads.     When  we  looked  up,  he  waa 


Pollard]     THE  NATURAL  BRIDGE  AND   TUNNEL.        55 

Btanding  apparently  right  under  the  arch,  I  suppose  a  hun- 
dred feet  from  the  bottom,  and  that  on  the  smooth  side, 
which  is  generally  considered  inaccessible  without  a  ladder. 
He  was  standing  far  above  the  spot  where  General  Wash- 
ington is  said  to  have  inscribed  his  name  when  a  youth. 
The  ledge  of  the  rock  by  which  he  ascended  to  this  peril- 
ous height  does  not  appear  from  below  to  be  three  inches 
wide,  and  runs  almost  at  right  angles  to  the  abutment  of 
the  bridge.  .  .  . 

The  ledge  of  rock  on  which  he  was  standing  appeared  so 
narrow  to  us  below  as  to  make  us  believe  his  position  a 
very  perilous  one,  and  we  earnestly  entreated  him  to  come 
down.     He  answered  us  with  loud  shouts  of  derision.  .  .  . 

He  soon  after  descended  from  that  side,  crossed  the 
brook,  and  commenced  climbing  on  the  side  by  which  all 
visitors  ascend  the  ravine.  He  first  mounted  the  rocks  on 
this  side,  as  he  had  done  on  the  other,  far  down  the 
abutment,  but  not  so  far  as  on  the  opposite  side.  The  pro- 
jecting ledge  may  be  distinctly  seen  by  any  visitor.  It 
commences  four  or  five  feet  from  the  pathway  on  the  lower 
side,  and  winds  round,  gradually  ascending,  until  it  meets 
the  cleft  of  rock  over  which  the  celebrated  cedar  stump 
hangs.  Following  this  ledge  to  its  termination,  it  brought 
him  thirty  or  forty  feet  from  the  ground,  and  placed  him 
between  two  deep  fissures,  one  on  each  side  of  the  gigantic 
column  of  rock  on  which  the  aforementioned  cedar  stump 
stands. 

This  column  stands  out  from  the  bridge,  as  separate  and 
distinct  as  if  placed  there  by  nature  on  purpose  for  an  ob- 
servatory to  the  wonderful  arch  and  ravine  which  it  over- 
looks. A  huge  crack  or  fissure  extends  from  its  base  to  the 
summit ;  indeed,  it  is  cracked  on  both  sides,  but  much  more 
perceptibly  on  one  side  than  the  other.  Both  of  these 
fissures  are  thickly  overgrown  with  bushes,  and  numerous 


56  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Pollard 

roots  project  into  them  from  trees  growing  on  the  precipice. 
It  was  between  these  that  the  aforementioned  ledge  con- 
ducted him.  Here  he  stopped,  pulled  off  his  coat  and  shoes 
and  threw  them  down  to  me.  And  this,  in  my  opinion,  is 
a  sufficient  refutation  of  the  story  so  often  told,  that  he 
went  up  to  inscribe  his  name,  and  ascended  so  high  that  he 
found  it  more  difficult  to  return  than  to  go  forward.  He 
could  have  returned  easily  from  the  point  where  he  disen- 
cumbered himself,  but  the  fact  that  he  did  thus  prepare  so 
early,  and  so  near  the  ground,  and  after  he  had  ascended 
more  than  double  that  height  on  the  other  side,  is  clear 
proof  that  to  inscribe  his  name  was  not,  and  to  climb  the 
bridge  was,  his  object.  He  had  already  inscribed  his  name 
above  Washington  himself  more  than  fifty  feet. 

Around  the  face  of  this  huge  column,  and  between  the 
clefts,  he  now  moved  backward  and  forward,  still  ascending 
as  he  found  convenient  foothold.  When  he  had  ascended 
about  one  hundred  and  seventy  feet  from  the  earth,  and 
had  reached  the  point  where  the  pillar  overhangs  the 
ravine,  his  heart  seemed  to  fail  him.  He  stopped,  and 
seemed  to  us  to  be  balancing  midway  between  heaven  and 
earth.  We  were  in  dread  suspense,  expecting  every  mo- 
ment to  see  him  dashed  in  atoms  at  our  feet.  We  had 
already  exhausted  our  powers  of  entreat}^  in  persuading 
him  to  return,  but  all  to  no  purpose.  Now  it  was  perilous 
even  to  speak  to  him,  and  very  difficult  to  carry  on  con- 
versation at  all,  from  the  immense  height  to  which  he  had 
ascended,  and  the  noise  made  by  the  bubbling  of  the  little 
brook  as  it  tumbled  in  tiny  cascades  over  its  rocky  bed  at 
our  feet.  At  length  he  seemed  to  discover  that  one  of  the 
clefts  before  mentioned  retreated  backward  from  the  over- 
hanging position  of  the  pillar.  Into  this  he  sprang  at 
once,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight  and  out  of  danger. 

There  is  not  a  word  of  truth  in  all  that  story  about  our 


Pollard]      THE  NATURAL  BRIDGE  AND   TUNNEL.        67 

hauling  him  up  with  ropes,  and  his  fainting  away  so  soon 
as  he  landed  on  the  summit.  Those  acquainted  with  the 
localities  will  at  once  perceive  its  absurdity ;  for  we  were 
beneath  the  arch,  and  it  is  half  a  mile  round  to  the  top, 
and  for  the  most  part  up  a  rugged  mountain.  Instead  of 
fainting  away,  Mr.  Piper  proceeded  down  the  hill  to  meet 
us  and  obtain  his  hat  and  shoes.  We  met  about  half-way, 
and  then  he  lay  down  for  a  few  moments  to  recover  him- 
self of  his  fatigue. 

[Virginia  possesses  another  marvel  of  nature's  handiwork  of  the 
same  general  character  as  the  Natural  Bridge,  and  of  which  Mr.  Pol- 
lard's description  may  here  fitly  be  given.] 

After  progressing  about  three  miles  from  the  ford  of  the 
Clinch  Eiver,  and  after  having  repeatedly  crossed  its 
crooked  tributary.  Stock  Creek,  we  come  to  a  small  moun- 
tain or  globular  hill  Avbich  is  our  wondrous  destination,  for 
here  is  the  Natural  Tunnel.  There  is  nothing  which  ad- 
vertises in  advance  this  great  wonder,  or  in  any  way 
excites  the  expectations  of  the  traveller.  There  is  a 
common  road,  from  which  we  depart  a  few  hundred  yards 
to  make  a  half  circuit  of  the  base  of  the  mountain,  that 
goes  clean  over  the  ridge,  leading  to  a  settlement  some 
miles  farther,  called  Ej^e  Cove,  and  which  was  once  the 
abode  of  a  fierce  Indian  tribe.  This  main  road  goes  over 
the  arch  of  the  tunnel,  furnishing  a  curious  convenience 
to  the  traveller,  of  which  he  would  be  unaware,  seeing 
nothing  through  the  foliage  but  glimpses  of  the  mural 
rocks  that  guard  and  sustain  the  termination  of  the  secret 
passage-way  many  hundred  feet  below  him.  It  is  from 
this  convenience  that  the  neighboring  people  name  the 
gigantic  work  of  nature  we  are  proceeding  to  explore  a 
natural  bridge.  But  this  name  is  certainly  insufficient  and 
paltry  for  a  rock-work  that  on  one  flank  at  least  extends 


58  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Pollard 

Bome  eight  hundred  feet,  and  which,  if  regarded  with  refer- 
ence to  the  breadth  of  the  interval  it  spans,  is,  in  fact,  a 
complication  of  bridges,  arranged,  as  we  shall  presently 
see,  in  one  single  massive  spectacle. 

The  western  face  of  the  tunnel,  near  which  we  dismount, 
continues  partly  concealed  from  view,  or  is  imperfectly  ex- 
posed, until  we  nearly  approach  it,  the  immense  rock 
which  is  perforated  being  here  dressed  with  the  thick 
foliage  of  the  spruce-pine,  and  the  harsh  surface  adorned 
with  a  beautiful  tracery  of  vines  and  creepers.  At  last  is 
seen  the  entrance  of  what  appears  to  be  a  huge  subter- 
raneous cavern  or  grotto,  into  which  the  stream  disappears ; 
a  towering  rock  rising  here  about  two  hundred  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  stream,  and  a  rude  entrance 
gouged  into  it,  varying  in  width,  as  far  as  the  eye  can 
reach,  from  one  hundred  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  and 
rising  in  a  clear  vault  from  seventy  to  eighty  feet  above 
the  floor.  The  view  here  terminates  in  the  very  blackness 
of  darkness ;  it  is  broken  on  the  first  curve  of  the  tunnel. 
The  bed  of  the  stream,  from  which  the  water  has  dis- 
appeared on  account  of  the  drouth,  the  reduced  currents 
sinking  to  lower  subterranean  channels,  is  piled  with  great 
irregular  rocks,  on  the  sharp  points  of  which  we  stumble 
and  cut  our  hands :  there  is  no  foothold  but  on  rocks,  and 
it  is  only  when  we  have  struggled  through  the  awful,  cruel 
darkness,  holding  up  some  feeble  lights  in  it,  and  issued 
into  the  broad  sunshine,  that  we  find  we  have  travelled 
nearly  two  hundred  yards  (or  say,  more  exactly,  five  hun- 
dred feet)  through  one  solid  rock,  in  which  there  is  not  an 
inch  of  soil,  not  a  seam,  not  a  cleft,  and  which,  even  beyond 
the  debouchure  of  the  tunnel,  yet  runs  away  a  hundred 
yards  in  a  wall  five  hundred  feet  high,  as  clean  and  whetted 
as  the  work  of  the  mason. 

But  we  must  not  anticipate  this  majestical  scene,  "  won- 


Pollard]     THE  NATURAL  BRIDGE  AND   TUNNEL.         59 

derful  beyond  all  wondrous  measure."  Happily,  in  enter- 
ing the  tunnel  from  the  western  side  we  have  adopted  the 
course  of  exploration  which  affords  a  gradual  ascent  of 
the  emotions,  until  at  last  they  tower  to  the  standard  of 
a  perfect  sublimity.  The  course  of  the  tunnel  may  be 
described  as  a  continuous  curve:  it  resembles,  indeed,  a 
prostrate  w.  For  a  distance  of  twenty  yards  midway  of 
this  course  we  are  excluded  from  a  view  of  either  entrance, 
and  the  darkness  is  about  that  of  a  night  with  one  quarter 
of  the  moon.  The  vault  becomes  lower  here — in  some 
places  scarcely  more  than  thirty  feet  high— and  springs 
immediately  from  the  floor.  The  situation  is  awful  and 
oppressive:  the  voice  sounds  unnatural,  and  rumbles 
strangely  and  fearfully  along  the  arch  of  stone.  We  are 
encoffined  in  the  solid  rock :  there  is  a  strange  pang  in  the 
beating  heart  in  its  imprisonment,  so  impenetrable,  black, 
hopeless,  and  we  hurry  to  meet  the  light  of  day.  In  that 
light  we  are  disentombed :  we  cast  off  the  confinements  of 
the  black  space  through  which  we  have  passed,  and  we  are 
instantly  introduced  to  a  scene  so  luminous  and  majestic 
that  in  a  moment  our  trembling  eyes  are  captivated  and 
our  hearts  lifted  in  unutterable  worship  of  the  Creator's 
works. 

It  is  that  sheer  wall  of  rock  which  we  have  already 
mentioned,  where  the  arch  and  other  side  of  the  tunnel 
break  away  into  the  mountain  slope ;  a  high  wall,  slightly 
impending ;  an  amphitheatre,  extending  one  hundred  yards, 
of  awful  precipices ;  a  clean  battlement,  without  a  joint  in 
it,  five  hundred  feet  high.  And  this  splendid  height  and 
breadth  of  stone,  that  a  thousand  storms  have  polished, 
leaving  not  a  cleft  of  soil  in  it, — this  huge,  unjointed 
masonry  raised  against  the  sky,  gray  and  weather-stained, 
with  glittering  patches  of  light  on  it, — is  yet  part  of  the 
same  huge  rock  which  towered  at  the  farther  end  of  the 


60  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Pollard. 

tunnel,  and  through  whose  seamless  cavity  we  have 
travelled  two  hundred  yards.  It  is  in  this  view  that  the 
mystery  of  the  scene  seizes  the  mind,  and  the  last  element 
of  sublimity  is  added  to  it.  It  is  in  this  view  that  the 
Natural  Tunnel  we  had  come  to  see  as  a  mere  "curiosity" 
takes  rank  among  the  greatest  wonders  of  the  world. 
What  power,  what  possible  imaginable  agency  of  nature, 
could  have  worked  out  this  stupendous  scene?  .  .  . 

Turning  our  eyes  away  from  the  battlement  of  rock  to 
the  opposite  side  of  the  ravine,  a  new  revelation  of  the 
grand  and  picturesque  awaits  us.  Here  a  gigantic  cliif,  but 
one  broken  with  rock  and  soil,  and  threaded  to  its  summit 
by  a  sapling  growth  of  the  buckeye,  the  linden,  and  the 
pine,  rises  almost  perpendicularly  from  the  water's  edge  to 
a  height  almost  equal  to  that  of  the  opposite  wall  of  rock. 
A  natural  platform  is  seen  to  project  over  it,  and  yet  a  few 
yards  further  there  is  an  insulated  cliff,  a  Cyclopean  chim- 
ney, so  to  speak,  scarcely  more  than  a  foot  square  at  its 
top,  rising  in  the  form  of  a  turret  at  least  sixty  feet  above 
its  basement,  which  is  a  portion  of  the  imposing  cliff  we 
have  mentioned.  It  is  at  once  perceived  that  here  are  two 
points  of  view  that  will  give  us  new  and  perhaps  the  most 
imposing  aspects  of  the  scene.  To  attain  these  points, 
however,  it  is  necessary  to  make  a  circuit  of  half  a  mile ; 
and  the  sinking  sun  admonishes  us  to  defer  this  new 
interest  of  the  scene  until  to-morrow.  .  .  . 

We  remounted  for  the  tunnel  in  the  early  morning,  and 
were  soon  to  find  that  the  rising  sun  was  to  give  a  new  and 
unexpected  g^ory  to  the  scene.  This  time  we  ascend  the 
mountain  instead  of  deflecting  as  before.  The  road  is  easy ; 
there  are  no  difficulties  of  access  to  the  points  of  view  from 
the  top  of  the  tunnel,  and  they  are  undoubtedly  the  grandest. 
W^e  pass  to  the  platform  before  described  by  a  few  steps  from 
the  main  road.     It  is  a  slab  of  rock  projecting  from  an 


Pollard]     THE  NATURAL  BRIDGE  AND   TUNNEL.         61 

open  patch  of  ground  ;  a  dead  cedar-tree  is  standing  at  its 
edge,  throwing  its  gnarled  and  twisted  arras,  as  in  wild 
and  widowed  sorrow,  over  the  awful  scene  below.  We 
now  see  the  great  opposite  amphitheatre  of  rock  in  added 
grandeur,  for  we  see  it  from  above, — we  see  it  across  a 
chasm  nine  hundred  feet  Avide  and  five  hundred  feet  deep, 
and  the  exposure  being  almost  exactly  eastern,  the  long 
spears  of  the  rising  sun  are  being  shattered  on  it.  The 
effect  is  inexpressibly  grand.  But  there  is  one  more  cir- 
cumstance to  be  added  to  the  scene ;  we  do  not  see  from 
this  observatory  the  arch,  the  entrance  of  the  tunnel.  A 
few  yards  farther  the  fearful  chimney-shaped  rock  invites 
to  a  more  commanding  view,  but  the  ascent  is  dangerous ; 
the  stone  on  top  is  loose,  and  so  narrow  that  two  persons 
can  scarcely  stand  on  it.  A  single  misstep,  a  moment's 
loss  of  balance,  and  we  would  fall  into  eternity.  But  now 
the  sense  of  peril  is  lost,  or  is  rather  mingled,  in  the  gran- 
deur of  the  scene.  It  is  a  panoramic  view.  We  have  now 
the  whole  sweep  of  the  mural  precipice  opposite  ;  the  sun's 
glitter  is  incessant  on  the  polished  stone ;  the  trees  which 
fringe  the  bottom  appear  now  scarcely  more  than  shrubs ; 
the  entrance  of  the  tunnel  has  now  come  into  view,  and 
that  which  yesterday  we  thought  so  high  and  wide,  now 
appears,  from  our  amazing  height,  as  a  stooped  door-way. 
We  imagine  the  gloomy  entrance  into  a  cave  of  Erebus 
and  Death,  the  broken  rocks  lying  within  which  look  like 
black  and  mangled  entrails.  It  is  a  fearful  picture, — it  is 
that  of  a  supernatural  abode. 

[This  marvel  of  nature  is  not  without  its  tradition, — one  of  Indian 
origin, — in  which  is  repeated,  with  suitable  variations,  the  familiar 
Lover's  Leap  narrative.  A  more  prosaic  and  modern  interest  attaches 
to  it,  in  its  having  been  chosen  as  the  route  of  a  railroad,  nature's  con- 
tribution of  a  passage  through  a  difScult  mountain  wall.] 


62  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Kusssll 


PLANTATION  LIFE  IN  WAR  TIMES. 

WILLIAM   HOWARD   RUSSELL. 

[Kussell,  of  former  celebrity  as  war  correspondent  of  The  T^mes, 
visited  the  seceded  States  during  the  early  period  of  the  American 
Civil  War.  His  letters  thence,  published  later  as  "Pictures  of 
Southern  Life,"  are  full  of  graphic  descriptions  of  scenes  and  feelings 
in  the  Confederate  States  during  the  era  of  enthusiasm  and  hopeful- 
ness, before  the  war  had  borne  its  harvest  of  doubt  and  misery.  It  is 
not  our  purpose,  however,  to  give  his  experiences  in  this  special  field. 
It  is  travel,  not  war,  with  which  we  are  concerned,  and  we  confine 
ourself  to  an  account  of  a  visit  to  a  plantation  in  the  vicinity  of 
Charleston.  A  short  preliminary  sketch  of  the  ebb  and  flow  of  rumor 
in  war  times,  however,  may  be  of  interest.] 

The  rolling  fire  of  the  revolution  is  fast  sweeping  over 
the  prairie,  and  one  must  fly  before  it  or  burn.  I  am 
obliged  to  see  all  that  can  be  seen  of  the  South  at  once, 
and  then,  armed  with  such  safeguards  as  I  can  procure,  to 
make  an  effort  to  recover  my  communications.  Bridges 
broken,  rails  torn  up,  telegraphs  pulled  down, — I  am  quite 
in  the  air,  and  air  charged  with  powder  and  fire.  One  of 
the  most  extraordinary  books  in  the  world  could  be  made 
out  of  the  cuttings  and  parings  of  the  newspapers  which 
have  been  published  within  the  last  few  days.  The  judg- 
ments, statements,  asseverations  of  the  press,  everywhere 
necessarily  hasty,  ill-sifted,  and  off-hand,  do  not  aspire  to 
even  an  ephemeral  existence  here.  They  are  of  use  if  they 
serve  the  purpose  of  the  moment,  and  of  the  little  boys 
who  commence  their  childhood  in  deceit,  and  continue  to 
adolescence  in  iniquity,  by  giving  vocal  utterance  to  the 
"sensation"  headings  of  the  journals  they  retail  so  sharply 
and  so  curtly. 


Russell]     PLANTATION  LIFE  IN  WAR   TIMES.  63 

Talk  of  the  superstition  of  the  Middle  Ages,  or  of  the 
credulity  of  the  more  advanced  period  of  rural  life ;  laugh 
at  the  Holy  Coat  of  Treves,  or  groan  over  the  Lady  of 
Salette ;  deplore  the  faith  in  winking  pictures,  or  in  a  com- 
munique of  the  Moniteur;  moralize  on  the  superstition 
which  discovers  more  in  the  liquefaction  of  the  ichor  of 
St.  Gennaro  than  a  chemical  trick ;  but  if  you  desire  to 
understand  how  far  faith  can  see  and  trust  among  the 
people  who  consider  themselves  the  most  civilized  and  in- 
telligent in  the  world,  you  will  study  the  American  jour- 
nals, and  read  the  telegrams  which  appear  in  them. 

One  day  the  Seventh  New  York  Eegiment  is  destroyed 
for  the  edification  of  the  South,  and  is  cut  up  into  such 
small  pieces  that  none  of  it  is  ever  seen  afterwards.  The 
next  day  it  marches  into  Washington  or  Annapolis,  all  the 
better  for  the  process.  Another,  in  order  to  encourage  the 
North,  it  is  said  that  hecatombs  of  dead  were  carried  out 
of  Fort  Moultrie,  packed  up,  for  easy  travelling,  in  boxes. 
Again,  to  irritate  both,  it  is  credibly  stated  that  Lord 
Lyons  is  going  to  interfere,  or  that  an  Anglo-French  fleet 
is  coming  to  watch  the  ports ;  and  so  on,  through  a  wild 
play  of  fancy,  inexact  in  line,  as  though  the  batteries  were 
charged  with  the  aurora  borealis  or  summer  lightning,  in- 
stead of  the  respectable,  steady,  manageable  offspring  of 
acid  and  metal.  .  .  . 

I  am  now,  however,  dealing  with  South  Carolina,  which 
has  been  the  fons  et  origo  of  the  secession  doctrines  and 
their  development  into  the  full  life  of  the  Confederate 
States.  The  whole  foundation  on  which  South  Carolina 
rests  is  cotton  and  a  certain  amount  of  rice ;  or  rather  she 
bases  her  whole  fabric  on  the  necessity  which  exists  in 
Europe  for  those  products  of  her  soil,  believing  and  as- 
serting, as  she  does,  that  England  and  France  cannot  and 
will  not  do  without  them.     Cotton,  without  a  market,  is  so 


64  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Russell 

much  flocculent  matter  encumbering  the  ground.  Eice, 
"without  demand  for  it,  is  unsalable  grain  in  store  and  on 
the  field.  Cotton  at  ten  cents  a  pound  is  boundless  pros- 
perity, empire,  and  superiority,  and  rice  and  grain  need  no 
longer  be  regarded. 

In  the  matter  of  slave  labor,  South  Carolina  argues 
pretty  much  in  this  way:  England  and  France  require 
our  products.  In  order  to  meet  their  wants  we  must  cul- 
tivate our  soil.  There  is  only  one  way  of  doing  so.  The 
white  man  cannot  live  on  our  land  at  certain  seasons  of 
the  year ;  he  cannot  work  in  the  manner  required  by  the 
crops.  He  must,  therefore,  employ  a  race  suited  to  the 
labor,  and  that  is  a  race  which  will  only  woi-k  when  it  is 
obliged  to  do  so. 

[And  so  on  throughout  the  old  argument,  which,  fortunately,  the 
logic  of  time  has  in  great  measure  disproved.  But,  leaving  this  phase 
of  the  subject,  we  shall  accompany  our  traveller  on  a  visit  to  the  land 
of  rice  and  slave  labor.  ] 

Earlj''  one  morning  I  started  in  a  steamer  to  visit  a 
plantation  in  the  Pedee  and  Maccamaw  district,  in  the 
island  coast  of  the  State,  north  of  Charleston.  Passing 
Sumter,  on  which  men  are  busily  engaged,  under  the  Con- 
federate flag,  in  making  good  damages  and  mounting  guns, 
we  put  out  a  few  miles  to  sea,  and  with  the  low  sandy 
shore,  dotted  with  soldiers  and  guard-houses  and  clumps 
of  ti-ees,  on  our  left,  in  a  few  hours  pass  the  Santee  Eivei', 
and  enter  an  estuary  into  which  the  Pedee  and  Maccamaw 
run  a  few  miles  farther  to  the  northwest. 

The  steamer  ran  alongside  a  jetty  and  pier,  which  was 
crowded  by  men  in  uniform,  waiting  for  the  news  and  for 
supplies  of  creature  comforts.  Ladies  were  cantering  along 
the  fine  hard  beach,  and  some  gigs  and  tax-carts,  fully 
laden,  rolled  along  very  much  as  one  sees  them  at  Scar- 


BussELL]     PLANTATION  LIFE  IN  WAR   TIMES.  65 

borough.  The  soldiers  on  the  pier  were  all  gentlemen  of  the 
county.  Some,  dressed  in  gray  tunics  and  yellow  facings,  in 
high  felt-hats  and  plumes  and  jack-boots,  would  have  done 
no  discredit  in  face,  figure,  and  bearing  to  the  gayest  cav- 
aliers who  ever  thundered  at  the  heels  of  Prince  Rupert. 
Their  horses,  full  of  Carolinian  fire  and  mettle,  stood  pick- 
eted under  the  trees  along  the  margin  of  the  beach. 
Among  these  men,  who  had  been  doing  the  duty  of  com- 
mon troopers  in  patrolling  the  sea-coast,  were  gentlemen 
possessed  of  large  estates  and  princely  fortunes ;  and  one 
who  stood  among  them  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  captain 
of  a  company,  for  whose  use  his  liberality  provided  un- 
bounded daily  libations  of  champagne,  and  the  best  luxu- 
ries which  French  ingenuity  can  safely  imprison  in  those 
well-known  caskets  with  which  Crimean  warriors  were  not 
unacquainted  at  the  close  of  the  campaign. 

They  wei-e  eager  for  news,  which  was  shouted  out  to 
them  by  their  friends  in  the  steamer,  and  one  was  struck 
by  the  intimate  personal  cordiality  and  familiar  acquaint- 
ance which  existed  among  them.  Three  heavy  guns, 
mounted  in  an  earthwork  defended  by  palisades,  covered 
the  beach  and  the  landing-place,  and  the  garrison  was  to 
have  been  reinforced  by  a  regiment  from  Charleston, 
which,  however,  had  not  got  in  readiness  to  go  up  on 
our  steamer,  owing  to  some  little  difficulties  between  the 
volunteers,  their  officers,  and  the  quartermaster-general's 
department. 

As  the  "  Nina"  approaches  the  tumble-down  wharf,  two 
or  three  citizens  advance  from  the  shade  of  shaky  sheds  to 
welcome  us,  and  a  few  country  vehicles  and  light  phaetons 
are  drawn  forth  from  the  same  shelter  to  receive  the  pas- 
sengers, while  the  negro  boys  and  girls  who  have  been 
playing  upon  the  bales  of  cotton  and  barrels  of  rice,  which 
represent  the  trade  of  the  place  on  the  wharf,  take  up 

Vol.    I  — q 


66  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Russell 

commanding  positions  for  the  better  observation  of  our 
proceedings.  There  is  an  air  of  quaint  simplicity  and  old- 
fashioned  quiet  about  Georgetown,  refreshingly  antago- 
nistic to  the  bustle  and  tumult  of  most  American  cities. 
While  waiting  for  our  vehicle  we  enjoyed  the  hospitality 
of  one  of  our  friends,  who  took  us  into  an  old-fashioned 
angular  wooden  mansion,  more  than  a  century  old,  still 
sound  in  every  timber,  and  testifying  in  its  quaint  wains- 
cotings,  and  the  rigid  framework  of  door  and  window,  to 
the  durability  of  its  cypress  timbers  and  the  preservative 
character  of  the  atmosphere.  In  early  days  it  was  the 
crack  house  of  the  old  settlement,  and  the  residence  of 
the  founder  of  the  female  branch  of  the  family  of  our  host, 
who  now  only  makes  it  his  halting-place  when  passing  to 
and  fro  between  Charleston  and  his  plantation,  leaving  it 
the  year  round  in  charge  of  an  old  servant  and  her  grand- 
child. Rose-trees  and  flowering  shrubs  clustered  before 
the  porch  and  filled  the  garden  in  front,  and  the  establish- 
ment gave  me  a  good  idea  of  a  London  merchant's  retreat 
about  Chelsea  a  hundred  and  fifty  years  ago. 

At  length  we  were  ready  for  our  journey,  and,  mounted 
in  two  light  covered  vehicles,  proceeded  along  the  sandy 
track,  which,  after  a  while,  led  us  to  a  deep  cut  in  the 
bosom  of  the  woods,  where  silence  was  only  broken  by  the 
cry  of  a  woodpecker,  the  boom  of  a  crane,  or  the  sharp 
challenge  of  the  jay.  For  miles  we  passed  through  the 
shadow  of  this  forest,  meeting  only  two  or  three  vehicles, 
containing  female  planterdom  on  little  excursions  of  pleas- 
ure or  business,  who  smiled  their  welcome  as  we  passed. 
Arrived  at  a  deep  chocolate-colored  stream,  called  Black 
River,  full  offish  and  alligators,  we  find  a  flat  large  enough  to 
accommodate  vehicles  and  passengers,  and  propelled  by  two 
negroes  pulling  upon  a  stretched  rope,  in  the  manner  usual 
in  the  ferry-boats  of  Switzerland,  ready  for  our  reception. 


Russell]     PLANTATION  LIFE  IN  WAR   TIMES.  67 

Another  drive  through  a  more  open  country,  and  we 
reach  a  fine  grove  of  pine  and  Hve-oak,  which  melts  away 
into  a  shrubbery,  guarded  by  a  rustic  gate-way,  passing 
through  which,  we  are  brought  by  a  sudden  turn  into  the 
planter's  house,  buried  in  trees,  which  dispute  with  the 
greensward  and  with  wild  flower-beds  every  yard  of  the 
space  which  lies  between  the  hall-door  and  the  waters  of 
the  Pedee ;  and  in  a  few  minutes,  as  we  gaze  over  the  ex- 
panse of  fields  just  tinged  with  green  by  the  first  life  of  the 
early  rice  crops,  marked  by  the  deep  water  cuts,  and 
bounded  by  a  fringe  of  unceasing  forest,  the  chimneys  of 
the  steamer  we  had  left  at  Georgetown  gliding  as  it  were 
through  the  fields  indicate  the  existence  of  another  navi- 
gable river  still  beyond. 

Leaving  with  regret  the  veranda  which  commanded  so 
charming  a  foreground,  we  enter  the  house,  and  are  re- 
minded by  its  low-browed,  old-fashioned  rooms,  of  the 
country  houses  yet  to  be  found  in  parts  of  Ireland  or  on 
the  Scottish  border,  with  additions,  made  by  the  luxury  and 
love  of  foreign  travel,  of  more  than  one  generation  of 
educated  Southern  planters.  Paintings  from  Italy  illustrate 
the  walls,  in  juxtaposition  with  interesting  portraits  of  early 
colonial  governors  and  their  lovely  womankind,  limned  with 
no  uncertain  hand,  and  full  of  the  vigor  of  touch  and  nat- 
uralness of  drapery  of  which  Copley  has  left  us  too  few 
exemplars ;  and  one  portrait  of  Benjamin  West  claims  for 
itself  such  honor  as  his  own  pencil  can  give.  An  excel- 
lent library — filled  with  collections  of  French  and  English 
classics,  and  with  those  ponderous  editions  of  Voltaire, 
Bousseau,  the  memoires  pour  servir,  books  of  travel  and 
history  such  as  delighted  our  forefathers  in  the  last  cen- 
tury, and  many  works  of  American  and  general  history — ■ 
affords  ample  occupation  for  a  rainy  day. 

But,  alas !  these,  and  all  things  good  which  else  the  house 


68  ^'ORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Russell 

affords,  can  be  enjoyed  but  for  a  brief  season.  Just  as 
nature  has  expanded  every  charm,  developed  every  grace, 
and  clothed  the  scene  with  all  the  beauty  of  opened  flower, 
of  ripening  grain,  and  of  mature  vegetation,  on  the  wings 
of  the  wind  the  poisoned  breath  comes,  borne  to  the  home 
of  the  white  man,  and  he  must  fly  before  it  or  perish.  The 
books  lie  unopened  on  their  shelves,  the  flower  blooms  and 
dies  unheeded,  and,  pity  'tis  true,  the  old  Madeira  garnered 
'neath  the  roof  settles  down  for  a  fresh  lease  of  life,  and 
sets  about  its  solitary  task  of  acquiring  a  finer  flavor  for 
the  infrequent  lips  of  its  banished  master  and  his  welcome 
visitors.  This  is  the  story,  at  least,  that  we  hear  on  all  sides, 
and  such  is  the  tale  repeated  to  us  beneath  the  porch,  when 
the  moon  enhances  while  softening  the  loveliness  of  the 
scene,  and  the  rich  melody  of  mocking-birds  fills  the  grove. 
"Within  these  hospitable  doors  Horace  might  banquet 
better  than  he  did  with  Nasidienus,  and  drink  such  wine 
as  can  only  be  found  among  the  descendants  of  the  an- 
cestry who,  improvident  enough  in  all  else,  learnt  the  wis- 
dom of  bottling  up  choice  old  Bual  and  Sercial  ere  the 
demon  of  oidium  had  dried  up  their  generous  sources  for- 
ever. To  these  must  be  added  excellent  bread,  ingenious 
vai-ieties  of  the  galette,  compounded  now  of  rice  and  now 
of  Indian  meal,  delicious  butter  and  fruits,  all  good  of  their 
kind.  And  is  there  anything  bitter  rising  up  from  the 
bottom  of  the  social  bowl?  My  black  friends  who  attend 
on  me  are  grave  as  Mussulman  Khitmutgars.  They  are 
attired  in  liveries,  and  wear  white  cravats  and  Berlin 
gloves.  At  night  when  we  retire,  off  they  go  to  their 
outer  darkness  in  the  small  settlement  of  negrohood,  which 
is  separated  from  our  house  by  a  wooden  palisade.  Their 
fidelity  is  undoubted.  The  house  breathes  an  air  of  security. 
The  doors  and  windows  are  unlocked.  There  is  but  one 
gun,  a  fowling-piece,  on  the  premises.     No  planter  here- 


Russell]     PLANTATION  LIFE  IN  WAR   TIMES.  69 

abouts  has  any  dread  of  his  slaves.  But  I  have  seen, 
within  the  short  time  I  have  been  in  this  part  of  the  world, 
several  dreadful  accounts  of  murder  and  violence,  in  which 
masters  suffered  at  the  hands  of  their  slaves.  There  is 
something  suspicious  in  the  constant,  never-ending  state< 
ment  that  "  we  are  not  afraid  of  our  slaves."  The  curfew 
and  the  night  patrol  in  the  streets,  the  prisons  and  watch- 
houses,  and  the  police  regulations,  prove  that  strict  super- 
vision, at  all  events,  is  needed  and  necessary.  My  host  is  a 
kind  man  and  a  good  master.  If  slaves  are  happy  any- 
where,  they  should  be  so  with  him. 

These  people  are  fed  by  their  master.  They  have  up. 
ward  of  half  a  pound  per  diem  of  fat  pork,  and  corn  in 
abundance.  They  rear  poultry  and  sell  their  chickens  and 
eggs  to  the  house.  They  are  clothed  by  their  master.  He 
keeps  them  in  sickness  as  in  health.  Now  and  then  there 
are  gifts  of  tobacco  and  molasses  for  the  deserving.  There 
was  little  labor  going  on  in  the  fields,  for  the  rice  has  been 
just  exerting  itself  to  get  its  head  above  water.  These 
fields  yield  plentifully ;  for  the  waters  of  the  river  are  fat, 
and  they  are  let  in  whenever  the  planter  requires  it,  by 
means  of  floodgates  and  small  canals,  through  which  the 
flats  can  carry  their  loads  of  grain  to  the  river  for  loading 
the  steamers. 

[Following  our  traveller  la  his  peregrinations  through  the  South,  we 
next  take  him  up  on  a  sugar  plantation  on  the  Mississippi.  The  part 
of  his  journey  in  which  we  now  find  him  is  to  be  taken  by  boat.] 

Charon  pushed  his  skiff  into  the  water — there  was  a 
good  deal  of  rain  in  it — in  shape  of  snuffer-dish,  some  ten 
feet  long  and  a  foot  deep.  I  got  in,  and  the  conscious 
waters  immediately  began  vigorously  spurting  through  the 
cotton  wadding  wherewith  the  craft  was  calked.  Had  we 
got  out  into  the  stream  we  should  have  had  a  swim  for  it, 


70  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Russell 

and  they  do  say  the  Mississippi  is  the  most  dangerous  river 
for  that  healthful  exercise  in  the  known  world. 

"  Why  I  deuce  take  you"  (I  said  at  least  that,  in  my 
wrath),  "  don't  you  see  the  boat  is  leaky  ?" 

"  See  it  now  for  true,  massa.  Nobody  able  to  tell  dat 
till  massa  get  in,  tho'." 

Another  skiff  proved  to  be  stanch.  I  bade  good-by  to 
my  friend,  and  sat  down  in  my  boat,  which  was  soon  forced 
along  up-stream  close  to  the  bank,  in  order  to  get  a  good 
start  across  to  the  other  side.  The  view,  from  my  lonely 
position,  was  curious,  but  not  at  all  picturesque.  The  land- 
scape had  disappeared  at  once.  The  world  was  bounded 
on  both  sides  by  a  high  bank,  and  was  constituted  by  a 
broad  river, — just  as  if  one  were  sailing  down  an  open  sewer 
of  enormous  length  and  breadth.  Above  the  bank  rose, 
however,  the  tops  of  tall  trees  and  the  chimnej's  of  sugar- 
houses.  A  row  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour  brought  us  to  tho 
levee  on  the  other  side.  1  ascended  the  bank,  and  directly 
in  front  of  me,  across  the  road,  appeared  a  carriage  gate- 
way and  wickets  of  wood,  painted  white,  in  a  line  of  park 
palings  of  the  same  material,  which  extended  up  and 
down  the  road  far  as  the  eye  could  follow,  and  guarded 
wide-spread  fields  of  maize  and  sugar-cane.  An  avenue  of 
trees,  with  branches  close  set,  drooping  and  overarching  a 
walk  paved  with  red  brick,  led  to  the  house,  the  porch  of 
which  was  just  visible  at  the  extremity  of  the  lawn,  with 
clustering  flowers,  rose,  jasmine,  and  creepers  clinging  to 
the  pillars  supporting  the  veranda. 

The  proprietor,  who  had  espied  my  approach,  issued 
forth  with  a  section  of  sable  attendants  in  his  rear,  and 
gave  me  a  hearty  welcome.  The  house  was  larger  and 
better  than  the  residences  even  of  the  richest  planters, 
though  it  was  in  need  of  some  little  repair,  and  had  been 
built  perhaps  fifty  years  ago,  in  the  old  Irish  fashion,  who 


Russell]     PLANTATION  LIFE  IN  WAR   TIMES.  71 

built  well,  ate  well,  drank  well,  and,  finally,  paid  very 
well.  The  view  from  the  belvedere  was  one  of  the  most 
striking  of  its  kind  in  the  world.  If  an  English  agricul- 
turist could  see  six  thousand  acres  of  the  finest  land  in  one 
field,  unbroken  by  hedge  or  boundary,  and  covered  with 
the  most  magnificent  crops  of  tasselling  Indian  corn  and 
sprouting  sugar-cane,  as  level  as  a  billiard-table,  he  would 
surely  doubt  his  senses.  But  here  is  literally  such  a  sight. 
Six  thousand  acres,  better  tilled  than  the  finest  patch  in 
all  the  Lothians,  green  as  Meath  pastures,  which  can  be 
cultivated  for  a  hundred  years  to  come  without  requiring 
manure,  of  depth  practically  unlimited,  and  yielding  an 
annual  profit  on  what  is  sold  off  it  of  at  least  twenty  pounds 
an  acre  at  the  old  prices  and  usual  yield  of  sugar.  Eising 
up  in  the  midst  of  the  verdure  are  the  white  lines  of  the 
negro  cottages  and  the  plantation  ofiices  and  sugar-bouses, 
which  look  like  large  public  edifices  in  the  distance.  And 
who  is  the  lord  of  all  this  fair  domain  ?  The  proprietor  of 
Houmas  and  Orange  grove  is  a  man,  a  self-made  one,  who 
has  attained  his  apogee  on  the  bright  side  of  half  a  century, 
after  twenty-five  years  of  successful  business. 

When  my  eyes  "  uncurtained  the  early  morning,"  I  might 
liave  imagined  myself  in  the  magic  garden  of  Cherry  and 
Fair  Star,  so  incessant  and  multifarious  were  the  carols  of 
the  birds,  which  were  the  only  happy  colored  people  I  saw 
in  my  Southern  tour,  notwithstanding  the  assurances  of 
the  many  ingenious  and  candid  gentlemen  who  attempted 
to  prove  to  me  that  the  palm  of  terrestrial  felicity  must  be 
awarded  to  their  negroes.  As  I  stepped  through  my  win- 
dow upon  the  veranda,  a  shai'p  chirp  called  my  attention 
to  a  mocking-bird  perched  upon  a  rose-bush  beneath,  whom 
my  presence  seemed  to  annoy  to  such  a  degree  that  I  re- 
treated behind  my  curtain,  whence  I  observed  her  flight  to 
a  nest,  cunningly  hid  in  a  creeping  rose  trailed  around 


72  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Russell 

a  neighboring  column  of  the  house,  where  she  imparted  a 
breakfast  of  spiders  and  grasshoppers  to  her  gaping  and 
clamorous  offspring.  While  I  was  admiring  the  motherly 
grace  of  this  melodious  fly-catcher,  a  servant  brought  cof- 
fee, and  announced  that  the  horses  were  ready,  and.  that  I 
might  have  a  three  hours  ride  before  breakfast. 

If  I  regretted  the  absence  of  the  English  agriculturist 
when  I  beheld  the  six  thousand  acres  of  cane  and  sixteen 
hundred  of  maize  unfolded,  from  the  belvedere  the  day  pre- 
vious, I  longed  for  his  presence  still  more  when  I  saw  those 
evidences  of  luxuriant  fertility  attained  without  the  use  of 
phosphates  or  guano.  The  rich  Mississippi  bottoms  need 
no  manure ;  a  rotation  of  maize  with  cane  affords  them  the 
necessary  recuperative  action.  The  cane  of  last  yeai-'s 
plant  is  left  in  stubble,  and  renews  its  growth  this  spring 
under  the  title  of  ratoons.  When  the  maize  is  in  tassel, 
cow-peas  are  dropped  between  the  rows,  and  when  the 
lordly  stalk,  of  which  I  measured  many  twelve  or  even 
fifteen  feet  in  heijrht,  bearinf;  three  and  sometimes  four 
ears,  is  topped  to  admit  the  ripening  sun,  the  pea-vine 
twines  itself  around  the  trunk  with  a  profusion  of  leaf 
and  tendril  that  supplies  the  planter  with  the  most  desira- 
ble fodder  for  his  mules  in  "rolling-time,"  which  is  their 
season  of  trial.  Besides  this,  the  corn-blades  are  culled 
and  cured.  These  are  the  best  meals  of  the  Southern  race- 
horse, and  constitute  nutritious  hay  without  dust.  .  .  . 

As  we  ride  through  the  wagon-roads, — of  which  there 
are  not  less  than  thirty  miles  in  this  confederation  of  four 
plantations  held  together  by  the  purse  and  the  life  of  our 
host, — the  unwavering  exactitude  of  the  rows  of  cane, 
which  run  without  deviation  at  right  angles  with  the  river 
down  to  the  cane-brake,  two  miles  oft",  proves  that  the 
negro  would  be  a  formidable  rival  in  a  ploughing-match. 
The  cane  has  been  "  laid  by  ;"   that  is,  it  requires  no  more 


Russell]     PLANTATION  LIFE  IN   WAR   TIMES.  73 

labor,  and  will  soon  "  lap,"  or  close  up,  though  the  rows 
are  seven  feet  apart.  It  feathers  like  a  palm  top  :  a  stalk 
which  was  cut  measured  six  feet,  although  from  the  ridcres 
it  was  but  waist-high.  On  dissecting  it  near  the  root  we 
find  five  nascent  joints  not  a  quarter  of  an  inch  apart.  In 
a  few  weeks  more  these  will  shoot  up  like  a  spy-glass 
pulled  out  to  its  focus.  .  .  . 

In  the  rear  of  this  great  plantation  there  are  eighteen 
thousand  additional  acres  of  cane-brake  which  are  being 
slowly  reclaimed.  .  .  .  We  extended  our  ride  into  this 
jungle,  on  the  borders  of  which,  in  the  unfinished  clearing, 
I  saw  plantations  of  "  negro  corn,"  the  sable  cultivators  of 
which  seem  to  have  disregarded  the  symmetry  practised  in 
the  fields  of  their  master,  who  allows  them  from  Saturday 
noon  until  Monday's  cockcrow  for  the  care  of  their  private 
interests.  .  .  . 

Corn,  chicken,  and  eggs  are,  from  time  immemorial,  the 
perquisites  of  the  negro,  who  has  the  monopoly  of  the  two 
last-named  articles  in  all  well-ordered  Louisiana  planta- 
tions. Indeed,  the  white  man  cannot  compote  with  them 
in  raising  poultry,  and  our  host  was  evidently  delighted 
when  one  of  his  negroes,  who  had  brought  a  dozen  Mus- 
covy ducks  to  the  mansion,  refused  to  sell  them  to  him 
except  for  cash.  "  But,  Louis,  won't  you  trust  me  ?  Am  I 
not  good  for  three  dollars?"  "Good  enough,  massa ;  but 
dis  nigger  want  de  money  to  buy  flour  and  coffee  for  him 
young  family.  Folks  at  Donaldsonville  will  trust  massa, — 
won't  trust  nigger."  The  money  was  paid,  and,  as  the 
negro  left  us,  his  master  observed,  with  a  sly,  humorous 
twinkle,  "  That  fellow  sold  forty  dollars'  worth  of  corn  last 
year,  and  all  of  them  feed  their  chickens  with  my  corn, 
and  sell  their  own." 


WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.'  [Clarkb 


AMONG  FLORIDA  ALLIGATORS. 

S.  C.  CLARKB, 

[To  the  several  stories  of  hunting  life  which  we  have  introduced 
into  these  pages  we  may  add  one  description  of  the  large  game  of  the 
streams  and  lakes  of  Florida,  the  bone-clad  alligator.  With  it  is  given 
a  sketch  of  the  Everglade  region  which  may  be  of  interest.] 

Having  organized  an  expedition  to  the  great  Lake  Oke- 
chobee,  some  thirty  miles  due  west  from  the  Indian  Eiver 
Inlet,  we  hired  a  wagon  and  pair  of  mules  to  carry  our 
tents  and  necessary  baggage,  but,  no  other  animals  being 
attainable,  only  those  of  us  who  were  fit  for  a  tramp  of 
nearly  a  hundred  miles  could  go.  Colonel  Vincent,  Mac- 
leod  and  Herbert  of  the  "  Victoria,"  Captain  Morris,  Eob- 
erts,  and  myself,  with  the  two  pilots,  Pecetti  and  Weldon, 
as  guides,  and  Tom  and  a  negro  w^hom  we  picked  up  at 
Capron  for  cooks, — ten  men  in  all,  well-armed, — we  were 
strong  enough  to  insure  respect  from  any  roving  party  of 
Seminoles  who  might  have  been  tempted  to  rob  a  weaker 
party.  There  are  at  this  time,  it  is  supposed,  two  or  three 
hundred  of  these  Indians  in  the  region  between  Lake  Oke- 
chobee  and  the  Keys,  descendants  of  a  few  Seminoles  who 
concealed  themselves  in  these  inaccessible  fastnesses  when 
the  greater  part  of  their  nation  was  sent  West  in  1842. 
They  plant  some  corn  on  the  islands  of  the  Everglades, 
but  live  principally  by  the  chase.  Hitherto  they  have  not 
been  hostile  to  the  whites,  but  as  they  increase  in  numbers 
faster  than  the  white  settlers,  it  is  not  impossible  that  they 
may  reoccupy  Southern  Florida  sooner  or  later,  it  being,  in 
fact,  a  region  suited  only  to  the  roving  hunter,  ,  ,  . 

The  first  day  we  made  about  twenty  miles  through  a 


Clarkk]  among   FLORIDA   ALLIGATORS.  75 

forest  of  yellow  pine,  such  as  stretches  along  the  Southern 
coast  from  Virginia  to  Alabama,  the  trees  standing  thirty 
or  forty  feet  apart,  with  little  underbrush.  Here  and  there 
we  came  upon  a  hummock  of  good  soil,  covered  with  the 
live-oak,  magnolia,  and  cabbage-palm,  all  interlaced  with 
vines  and  creepers,  so  as  to  form  an  almost  impassable 
jungle.  Now  the  I'oad  would  lead  into  a  wide  savanna  or 
meadow,  waving  with  grass  and  browsed  by  herds  of  wild 
cattle  and  deer.  In  these  meadows  were  set  bright,  mirror- 
like lakes,  the  abodes  of  water-fowl  and  wading  birds,  black 
bass,  and  the  grim  alligator,  which  in  these  solitudes,  not 
being  impressed  with  the  fear  of  man,  will  hardly  trouble 
himself  to  move  out  of  the  waj'.  March  in  this  region 
corresponding  to  May  in  the  Middle  States,  the  birds  wei'e 
in  full  spring  song  in  every  thicket, — the  cardinal,  the  non- 
pareil, the  mocking-bird,  and  our  old  familiar  robin,  whoso 
cheerful  note  greets  the  traveller  all  over  North  America. 
Up  and  down  the  great  pine  trunks  ran  the  red  and  gray 
squirrels,  the  little  brown  hare  scudded  through  the  pal- 
metto sci'ub,  and  the  turkey-buzzards  floated  above  our 
heads  in  long  easy  circles. 

So  we  fared  on  our  way  till  about  four  p.m.,  when  we 
made  our  camp  on  a  clear  branch  or  creek  which  issued 
from  a  lake  near  by,  and  while  some  of  the  party  went  to 
look  for  a  deer.  Captain  Herbert  and  I  took  our  rods  and 
went  up  the  creek  towards  the  lake.  Casting  our  spoons 
into  a  deep  hole,  we  soon  took  a  mess  of  bass  and  pike, 
which  were  very  abundant  and  eager  to  be  caught,  when,  as 
we  were  preparing  to  return  to  camp,  we  suddenly  saw  an 
alligator  about  eight  feet  long  quietly  stealing  towards  us. 
I  seized  a  young  pine-tree  about  as  thick  as  my  arm,  and 
made  for  him.  Not  at  all  alarmed,  the  beast  opened  his 
jaws  and  advanced,  hissing  loudlj''.  I  brought  down  my 
club  with  full  force  upon  his  head,  but  it  seemed  to  produce 


76  WORLD'8  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Clarke 

DO  impression ;  he  still  advanced  as  I  retreated  battering 
his  skull. 

"  What  is  that  brute's  head  made  of?"  inquired  Herbert, 
as  he  came  to  ray  assistance  with  another  club ;  and  be- 
tween us  we  managed  to  stun  the  hard-lived  reptile,  and 
left  him  on  the  ground. 

The  hunters  brought  in  a  young  buck  and  two  turkeys, 
so  that  we  had  a  plentiful  supper  after  our  tramp.  .  .  . 

About  two  o'clock  that  night  we  were  disturbed  by  the 
mules,  which  had  been  staked  out  to  graze  hard  b}",  and 
which  retreated  towards  the  camp  to  the  end  of  their 
ropes,  snorting  with  terror.  The  dogs  rushed  to  the  scene 
of  disturbance,  and  appeared  to  have  a  fight  with  some 
animal  which  escaped  in  the  woods.  Our  guides  thought 
it  was  a  panther,  and  at  daylight  they  started,  with  Morris 
and  myself  and  all  the  dogs,  to  hunt  for  it.  The  hounds 
soon  hit  the  trail,  which  we  followed  into  a  cypress  swamp 
about  half  a  mile  from  the  camp,  in  the  midst  of  which 
they  started  a  large  panther,  which,  being  hotl}'-  pressed  by 
the  hounds,  treed  in  a  big  live-oak  on  the  farther  side  of 
the  swamp.  When  we  came  up  we  plainly'  saw  the  beast 
lying  out  on  a  branch  which  stretched  horizontally  from 
the  trunk  about  twenty-five  feet  from  the  ground. 

"  Now,"  said  Pecetti,  "  you  two  fire  first,  and  if  you  don't 
kill,  Weldon  and  I  will  be  ready.     Aim  at  the  heart." 

Morris  and  I  fired,  and  the  panther  sprang  from  the  tree 
among  the  dogs,  which  all  piled  on  him  at  once.  There 
was  a  confused  mass  of  fur  rolUng  on  the  ground,  snarling, 
and  snapping,  for  half  a  minute ;  then  the  panther  broke 
loose,  and  was  making  off,  when  Weldon  put  half  a  dozen 
buckshot  in  his  head,  and  he  rolled  over  and  over,  so  nearly 
dead  that  when  the  dogs  mounted  him  again  he  could  do 
no  mischief  He  had  badly  cut  both  the  deer-hounds,  how- 
ever, which  had  been  the  first  to  seize  him :  Weldon's  fox. 


^^      -PH£      OOAS-r      O,^      ..UORIOA 


From     a     !=.tee;i-     .- 


Clarkk]  among   FLORIDA   ALLIGATORS.  77 

hounds,  having  more  experience  with  this  sort  of  game, 
had  kept  clear  of  his  claws.  It  was  a  fine  male,  measuring 
eight  feet  from  the  nose  to  the  tip  of  the  tail,  and  we  took 
the  skin  for  a  trophy.  The  tenacitj  of  life  in  these  large 
cats  is  very  great.  One  of  our  balls  had  penetrated  the 
chest,  and  the  other  had  broken  the  fore  leg,  but  he  was 
still  able  to  shake  off  the  dogs,  and  would  probably  have 
escaped  but  for  Weldon's  shot.  .  .  . 

The  next  morning,  March  13,  we  breakfasted  upon  a 
couple  of  gophers  or  land-tortoises  which  the  men  had 
found  the  day  before  in  the  pine-woods.  These  creatures 
are  about  eighteen  inches  long,  and  weigh  twelve  or  fifteen 
pounds.  A  stew  of  the  gopher  and  the  terminal  buds  of 
the  cabbage-palm  is  a  favorite  Florida  dish.  About  noon 
we  came  suddenly  upon  the  shore  of  the  great  lake  Oke- 
chobee,  which  extends  away  to  the  west  and  south  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach :  in  fact,  the  shores  are  so  low  as 
to  be  invisible  at  any  distance.  This  is  by  far  the  largest 
sheet  of  water  in  the  State,  being  about  forty  miles  long 
and  thirty  wide,  but  it  is  not  deep.  It  contains  on  the 
western  side  several  islands,  which  are  occupied  by  the 
Seminoles.  To  the  south  and  east  of  this  lake  are  the 
Everglades,  or  Grassy  Lakes,  a  region  where  land  and 
water  are  mingled, — rivers,  lakes,  dry  islands,  and  wet 
marshes  all  jumbled  together  in  confusion,  and  extending 
over  many  hundred  square  miles,  the  chosen  abode  of  the 
alligator,  the  gar-fish,  the  snapping-turtle,  the  moccasin 
snake,  and  other  hideous  and  ferocious  creatures  more  or 
less  mythical,  and  recalling  those  earlier  periods  in  the 
earth's  history  when  the  great  monsters,  the  Ichthyosauri 
and  the  Plesiosauri,  wallowed  and  crawled  over  the  conti- 
nents. 

We  made  our  camp  in  a  grove  near  the  lake,  almost  on 
the  spot  where  Taylor  fought  his  battle  in  1838.     As  soon 


78  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Clarkb 

as  this  was  done  the  pilots  went  in  search  of  a  tree  to 
make  canoes.  They  found  not  far  off  a  large  cypress 
which  served,  and  by  the  next  night  they  had  completed 
two  canoes,  each  about  twelve  feet  long  and  eighteen 
inches  wide,  suitable  for  navigating  the  lake  and  able  to 
carry  four  men  each.  In  the  mean  time  we  had  commenced 
hostilities  against  the  alligators,  which  were  here  very 
large,  bold,  and  numerous.  They  lay  basking  in  the  sun 
upon  the  beach  in  front  of  our  camp,  some  of  them  fifteen 
feet  long,  and  it  became  necessary  to  drive  them  away, 
lest  they  should  devour  our  dogs,  or  even  our  mules,  for 
some  of  these  monsters  looked  able  to  do  it.  We  opened 
fire  upon  them  with  repeating  rifles,  and  if  any  Indians 
were  within  hearing  they  must  have  supposed  that  General 
Taylor  had  come  back  again,  such  was  the  rapidity  of  our 
fusillade.  The  brain  of  the  alligator  is  small,  and  developed 
chiefly  in  the  region  of  destructiveness ;  but  after  a  dozen 
were  killed  and  many  more  wounded,  it  seemed  to  dawn 
upon  their  perceptions  that  this  part  of  the  lake  was  un- 
safe, and  they  gradually  took  themselves  away.  I  disap- 
prove of  killing  animals  for  mere  sport,  and  destroy  not 
deliberately  except  when  I  wish  to  use  them  for  food ;  but 
the  alligator  is  the  enemy  of  all  living  creatures,  the 
tyrant  of  the  waters,  and  the  death  of  one  saves  the  lives 
of  hundreds  of  other  animals.  So  blaze  away  at  the 
'gators,  O  ye  Florida  tourists ! — you  will  not  kill  many  of 
them,  anyway :  their  shells  are  too  thick, — but  spare  the 
pelicans,  who  are  a  harmless  race  of  fisherfolk,  like  our- 
selves. 

There  were  great  numbers  of  large  turtles  in  the  lake, 
Chelonura  and  Trionyx,  from  two  to  three  feet  long ;  gar- 
fish also,  almost  as  big  as  the  alligators.  These  mailed 
warriors,  like  the  knights  of  old,  exercise  their  prowess 
chiefly  upon  the  defenceless  multitudes  of  the  fresh  waters, 


Clarke]  AMONG  FLORIDA    ALLIGATORS.  79 

but  I  have  heard  of  half  a  large  alligator  being  found  in 
the  stomach  of  a  shark  at  a  river  mouth.  In  Bpite  of  all 
these  destroyers,  the  lake  swarmed  with  fish.  Pecetti 
could  generally  get  enough  black  bass,  pike,  or  perch  at 
one  or  two  casts  of  his  net  to  feed'  our  whole  party  if  at 
any  time  it  happened  that  they  would  not  bite  at  the 
hook. 

A  curious  feature  of  the  lake  and  river  scenery  is  the 
floating  island.  This  is  principally  formed  of  the  water- 
lettuce,  or  Fistia,  an  aquatic  plant  with  long  roots  which 
descend  to  the  bottom.  These  beds  of  Pistia  become 
matted  together  with  grass  and  weeds,  so  as  to  be  thick 
enough  to  bear  the  weight  of  small  animals,  and  even 
sometimes  of  man.  In  strong  winds  these  islands  break 
loose  from  their  anchorage  and  float  away  for  miles,  till 
they  bring  up  in  some  quiet  bay,  where  the  plants  again 
take  root.  Lake  Okechobee  contains  many  of  these  float- 
ing meadows,  which  are  a  great  resort  for  ducks  and  water- 
fowl. In  fact,  one  would  think  that  all  the  ducks,  divers, 
herons,  curlews,  ibises,  cranes,  and  waders  generally  had 
assembled  here  in  mass-meeting.  Among  them  are  those 
rare  and  beautiful  species,  the  scarlet  ibis,  roseate  spoon- 
bill, and  black-necked  stilt.  The  ducks,  being  birds  of  pas- 
sage, spending  their  summers  up  North,  are  acquainted 
with  men  and  their  arts,  and  are  comparatively  shy, 
but  the  native  birds  are  very  tame  and  can  easily  be  ap- 
proached. 

I  was  awakened  the  next  morning  at  sunrise  by  sounds 
from  the  woods  as  of  a  gang  of  ship-carpenters  or  calkers 
at  work.  It  was  the  great  ivory-billed  woodpecker  {Picus 
principalis)  tearing  off  the  bark  and  probing  the  dead  trees 
for  insects  and  grubs,  and  making  a  noise  which  could 
plainly  be  heard  half  a  mile  in  the  still  morning  air. 
Another  sound  of  a  different  character  now  made  itself 


80  WORLD'l^l  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Clabkk 

heard  from  the  swamps.  It  was  something  like  the  bel- 
lowing of  bulls,  and  proceeded  from  the  old  male  alligators 
calling  to  their  mates.  This  indicates  the  coming  of  spring, 
the  breeding-season  of  these  creatures.  William  Bartram, 
who  travelled  in  East  Florida  a  hundred  years  ago,  gives 
a  thrilling  account  of  the  terrible  combats  which  he  wit- 
nessed in  the  St.  John's  Eiver  between  these  rival  cham- 
pions, who  did  not  hesitate  to  attack  him  in  his  boat. 

The  next  day,  March  15,  being  in  want  of  meat.  Colonel 
Vincent,  Dr.  Macleod,  Morris,  and  I  started  for  a  hunt, 
taking  Peeetti  for  guide,  since  nothing  is  easier  than  to 
get  lost  in  this  wilderness.  We  kept  up  the  lake-shore  to 
the  north  on  the  sandy  beach,  towards  the  mouth  of  the 
Kissimmee  Eiver,  which  here  enters  the  lake.  This  is  a 
deep  and  rapid  stream,  which  drains  the  great  wet  prairies 
to  the  north,  and  in  the  rainy  season  must  carry  a  large 
volume  of  water.  Like  the  lake,  it  has  great  patches  of 
water-lettuce,  which  in  some  places  almost  bridge  the 
channel.  Much  of  its  course  is  through  swamps,  though 
in  some  places  the  pine  barrens  and  live-oak  hummocks 
approach  its  banks.  It  contains  immense  quantities  of  fish, 
— pike,  bass,  and  perch. 

In  the  first  hummock  which  we  reached  the  colonel  shot 
a  buck,  and  I  got  two  young  turkeys  from  a  flock.  As  we 
emerged  from  this  hummock  the  guide  spied  a  herd  of  wild 
cattle  feeding  on  the  prairie  about  half  a  mile  off,  and 
by  his  direction  we  crept  through  the  scrub  as  far  as  it 
afforded  cover,  and  then  trusted  to  the  high  grass  for  con- 
cealment till  we  got  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  herd, 
which  consisted  of  about  twenty  cows  and  calves,  with  a 
couple  of  bulls.  The  doctor  and  colonel  fired  together  and 
brought  down  a  heifer.  A  big  bull  immediately  charged 
towards  the  smoke  and  report  of  the  guns,  for  he  could 
not  see  us.     On  he  came,  head  down  and  tail  erect,  bellow- 


Clarke]  AMONG  FLORIDA  ALLIGATORS.  81 

ing  with  rage, — a  magnificent  animal  of  brindled  color, 
with  an  immensely  heavy  neck  and  shoulder,  like  a  bison, 
but  without  the  mane.  When  within  fifty  yards  I  fired  at 
his  head :  the  ball  struck  him  full  in  the  forehead  and 
staggered  him,  but  he  shook  his  head  and  kept  straight  for 
us.  I  gave  him  another  shot,  which  struck  him  in  the 
chest  and  turned  him,  when  Pecetti  gave  him  sixteen  buck- 
shot in  the  shoulder  from  his  big  double-barrel,  which 
brought  him  down,  dying  bravely  in  defence  of  his  family. 

"  His  carcass  is  too  old  and  tough  to  be  of  any  good," 
said  the  guide,  "  but  I'll  take  off  his  hide :  the  heifer  will 
give  us  meat  enough." 

While  he  was  butchering,  Morris  returned  to  the  camp 
and  sent  out  Tom  with  the  wagon  to  bring  in  the  beef  and 
venison.  It  was  not  long  before  a  flock  of  turkey-buzzards 
appeared  in  sight  and  floated  in  circles  above  our  heads, 
waiting  for  our  departure  to  begin  their  feast.  It  was 
formerly  the  opinion  of  naturalists  that  these  birds  were 
guided  by  scent  in  the  discovery  of  the  dead  animals  upon 
which  they  feed,  but  later  investigations  show  that  they 
are  led  by  their  acute  vision ;  and  my  own  experience  con- 
vinces me  that  this  is  the  fact.  As  we  were  returning  to 
camp  through  the  hummock,  Pecetti  killed  a  large  rattle- 
snake :  it  was  over  five  feet  long,  and  as  thick  as  the  calf 
of  a  man's  leg.  .  .  . 

On  the  morning  of  March  20,  Captain  Herbert,  Pecetti 
and  I  went  on  a  fishing  excursion  up  the  lake  in  a  canoe. 
A  few  casts  of  the  net  near  the  shore  procured  a  supply  of 
small  fish  of  the  mullet  species  for  bait,  and  we  paddled  up 
near  to  the  inlet  of  the  Kissimmee.  Here  we  found  the  alli- 
gators and  gars  too  numerous,  they  having  collected  prob- 
ably to  prey  upon  the  fish  which  there  enter  the  lake.  In 
a  quiet  bay  near  the  fringe  of  Pistia  and  water-lilies,  where 

the  water  was  five  or  six  feet  deep,  we  trolled  with  a  spoon 
Vol.  1—6 


82  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Clarke 

for  black  bass,  and  took  some  of  ver}^  large  size, — eight,  ten 
and  twelve  pounds.  .  .  . 

What  adds  much  to  the  interest  of  fishing  in  strange 
waters  is  the  uncertainty  of  the  sport  and  the  variety  of 
species ;  and  in  this  lake  we  could  not  tell  whether  the 
next  offer  would  be  from  a  peaceful  perch,  a  bounding  bass, 
a  piratical  pike,  or  a  gigantic  gar,  I  put  a  chub,  or  a  fish 
resembling  it,  eight  or  nine  inches  long  upon  a  gang  of 
large  hooks,  and  cast  it  astern  with  a  hand-line.  Presently 
I  saw  a  great  roll  towards  it  from  out  the  weeds,  and  my 
line  stopped  short.  I  had  something  very  heavy,  which, 
however,  played  in  the  sluggish  fashion  of  the  pike  family, 
and  in  ten  minutes,  without  much  resistance,  I  had  it  along- 
side the  canoe,  and  it  was  gaffed  by  Pecetti.  It  was  a  huge 
pike,  four  feet  four  inches  long,  and  weighed,  when  we  got 
to  camp,  thirty-four  pounds.  Pecetti  called  it  the  striped 
pike,  and  said  he  had  seen  them  six  feet  long  in  some  of 
the  lakes :  perhaps  Esox  vittatus  (Eafinesque)  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi Basin. 

By  this  time  the  gars  had  collected  about  us  in  such 
numbers  that  the  other  fish  were  driven  away:  we  found 
it  impossible  to  get  a  hook  into  their  bony  jaws  or  bills, 
and  only  succeeded  in  capturing  one  of  small  size  by  slip- 
ping a  noose  over  its  head  as  it  followed  the  bait.  This 
gar-fish  is  useless  as  food,  but  we  wanted  a  few  specimens 
for  Dr.  White,  it  being  in  demand  for  museums,  particu- 
larly in  foreign  countries,  as  it  belongs  to  a  species  exclu- 
sively American,  and  represents  an  order  of  fishes  (the 
ganoids)  of  which  few  families  at  present  exist.  This  one, 
Lepidosteus,  has  a  wide  range  in  America,  being  found  from 
Florida  to  Wisconsin.  Another  American  ganoid  is  Amia 
calva,  the  dog-fish  or  bow-fin,  which  is  very  numerous  in 
Western  rivers.  Both  are  voracious,  but  unfit  for  food. 
They  are  described  by  Agassiz  as  being  of  an  old-fashioned 


Telverton]         in  the  MAMMOTH  CAVE.  83 

type,  such  as  were  common  in  the  earlier  geologic  periods, 
and  this  is  one  among  many  proofs  that  North  America 
is  the  oldest  of  the  continents. 

Morris,  Vincent,  and  the  other  hunters  brought  in  to-day 
a  large  supply  of  game, — deer,  turkeys,  and  ducks, — but 
sustained  the  loss  of  one  of  Morris's  deer-hounds,  which 
they  supposed  to  have  been  taken  by  an  alligator  while 
swimming  a  lake  in  pursuit  of  a  deer.  They  were  some 
miles  south  of  the  camp  when  this  occurred.  They  did 
not  see  the  alligator,  but  the  dog  suddenly  disappeared, 
and  was  not  to  be  found  after  a  long  search.  Morris  felt 
BO  much  disgusted  by  the  loss  of  this  valuable  dog  that  he 
wished  to  return  to  the  yacht  and  go  down  towards  the 
Keys.  So  we  started  the  next  morning,  and  arrived  at 
the  inlet  on  the  23d.  The  weather  had  been  delightful,  as 
is  usually  the  case  in  Florida  in  winter,  but  the  day  we 
arrived  at  the  inlet  we  encountered  the  beginning  of  the 
equinoctial  storm,  which  lasted  two  days  and  was  very 
violent. 


IN  THE  MAMMOTH  CAVE. 

THERESE  YELVERTON. 

[Among  the  many  marvels  of  nature  in  the  United  States  the 
Mammoth  Cave  holds  a  prominent  position,  and  we  feel  it  incumbent 
on  us  to  accompany  some  of  our  company  of  travellers  into  its  depths. 
The  "  Teresina  in  America"  of  Therese  Yelverton  (Viscountess  Avon- 
more)  affords  us  the  opportunity,  of  which  we  avail  ourselves  in  the 
following  selection.] 

We  arrived  at  the  Mammoth  Cave  on  one  of  those 
heavenly  days  which  earthly  words  fail  to  depict.  It 
was  the  second  week  in  November,  the  "  Indian  summer," 


84  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.     [Yeltkrtoit 

the  most  charming  season  in  America.  If  anything  were 
necessary  to  convince  me  that  a  future  beatitude  is  no 
fiction,  it  would  be  this  foretaste  of  bliss  in  such  days 
as  these,  when  the  whole  being — mind  and  body — seems 
lapped  in  a  state  of  peace  and  beatitude  combined. 
Anxieties  and  worldly  cares  seem  to  float  away  into  the 
dim  distance ;  our  love  is  free  from  feverish  excitement, 
and  hate  has  lost  its  gall  and  sting.  The  golden  light 
which  floats  around  mellows  our  soul  to  repose.  There  is 
that  exhilarating,  yet  balmy  nourishment  in  the  atmos- 
phere which  lifts  the  weary  spirit  from  its  damp  and 
earthly  coil,  and  makes  it  glad,  and  light,  and  gleesome. 
The  heavy  "heart  bowed  down  by  weight  of  woe"  sud- 
denly imbibes  some  of  the  joyous  elasticity  which  fills  the 
insect  tribe, — the  bees  and  grasshoppers,  the  golden  fly, 
glittering  and  humming  in  pure  ecstasies,  and  the  merry 
little  beetles  revelling  in  one  continuous  contra-dance. 
Earely,  indeed,  can  we  overcharged  human  beings  feel  as 
blithesome  as  the  insect  world ;  we  seek  to  taste  the  apples 
of  delight  which  turn  to  ashes  in  our  mouth,  and  neglect 
to  sip  with  them  the  nectar  in  the  breeze.  What  can  we 
do?  these  breezes  come  so  seldom.  The  insect  sparkles  to- 
day in  the  sunshine  and  to-morrow  it  dies.  We  of  the 
superior  race  have  to  live  and  labor  through  sunshine  and 
shade,  and  can  only  catch  these  rosy  minutes  as  they  fly. 

Some  of  these  halcyon  moments  we  enjoyed  on  that  for- 
tunate day  we  arrived  at  the  Mammoth  Cave,  Kentucky. 
The  earth  was  covered  with  its  autumn  carpet  of  dry  dark 
leaves, — brown  and  glossy  on  one  side,  deep  violet  on  the 
other, — and  crinkling  and  crushing  beneath  our  tread, 
they  kept  up  a  staccato  treble  to  the  dulcet  sighing  of 
the  wind  through  the  yellow  leaves  still  lingering  on  the 
trees.  A  delicious  concert  of  sweet  sounds,  and  one  that 
Mozart  and  Mendelssohn  must  have  studied  well  and  care- 


Tklverton]         in  the  MAMMOTH  CAVE.  85 

fully.  The  atmosphere  was  bright  and  clear  as  under  a 
summer  sun,  but  without  the  heat;  the  air  as  fine  and 
bracing  as  winter,  but  without  the  cold.  We  lost  sight 
entirely  of  the  two  great  tormentors,  heat  and  cold,  and 
for  the  few  days  of  our  stay  forgot  their  very  existence. 

I  have  heard  of  persons  feeling,  under  the  effect  of 
laughter,  as  light  and  buoyant  as  if  floating  in  ambient 
air.  The  atmosphere  during  their  "  Indian  summer"  must, 
doubtless,  be  strongly  impregnated  with  oxygen,  for  we 
experienced  a  similar  sensation ;  which  was  probably 
deepened  by  the  fact  of  our  having  come  from  Louisville, 
where  those  hotel  stairs  had  seemed  a  perfect  toil  to  us. 

The  country  around  the  caves,  for  eight  or  ten  miles, 
was  a  series  of  deep  ravines,  studded  with  projecting  cliffs 
and  rocks,  and  covered  with  oak— principally  the  English 
oak — and  another  gigantic  species,  with  leaves  from  a 
quarter  to  half  a  yard  long,  but  of  the  same  form  as  the 
ordinary  oak-leaf  Up  and  down  the  ravines  we  scrambled 
and  roamed,  as  happy  as  goats  or  wild  chamois.  These 
ravines,  or  glens,  have  no  doubt  been  the  beds  of  some 
ancient  river,  now,  perhaps,  flowing  through  the  bowels  of 
the  earth ;  for  this  part  of  the  country  is  intersected  by 
underground  rivers,  a  stream  often  suddenly  appearing, 
which,  after  flowing  on  for  a  few  miles,  plunges  rapidly  into 
the  earth  and  is  lost  to  sight. 

An  anecdote  is  told  of  two  millers  who  had  their  mills 
on  two  different  rivers,  thirty  miles  apart.  There  had 
been  a  long  drought,  and  neither  mill  had  been  working; 
but  one  day  miller  No.  1  heard  his  wheel  going  round  at 
a  tremendous  pace,  and  going  to  examine  it  perceived  a 
quantity  of  water,  although  there  had  not  been  a  drop  of 
rain  for  some  time.  He  went  over  to  communicate  his 
good  luck  to  his  neighbor. 

"  Oh  1"  exclaimed  miller  No.  2,  "  you're  gettin'  my  water 


86  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.     [Yklverton 

unbeknownst,  for  a  cloud  burst  over  us  the  other  night  and 
nearly  drowned  us  all." 

It  was  evident  the  millers  were  working  the  same  stream, 
which  ran  for  thirty  miles  underground,  similar  to  the 
lakes  in  Florida,  called  sinks  (for  Americans  call  every- 
thing by  gross-sounding  names),  which  suddenly  disappear, 
leaving  all  the  fish  stranded.  Sometimes  the  water  re- 
turns, sometimes  not.  .  .  . 

Independent  of  the  caves,  the  scenery  around,  to  a  lover 
of  nature,  is  well  worthy  of  a  visit,  and  for  a  summer 
resort  is  unsurpassed ;  shady,  romantic  walks  through  the 
woods ;  a  delicious  air  breathed  from  the  gigantic  mouth 
of  the  cavern,  whence,  in  the  hot  months,  it  blows  cool  and 
refreshing ;  in  the  cold  ones  soft  and  warm ;  the  actual 
temperature  of  the  cave  never  varying.  The  sensations  of 
heat  and  cold  are  produced  by  comparison  with  the  outer 
air. 

It  occurred  to  a  medical  man  some  years  ago  that  the 
uniform  atmosphere  of  this  cave  might  be  a  specific  for 
consumption. 

Possessed  with  this  theory,  the  doctor  had  a  dozen  small 
houses  constructed  in  the  cavern,  about  a  mile  or  two  from 
its  mouth,  and  to  these  he  conveyed  his  patients.  From 
the  appearance  of  these  places  of  abode,  the  only  wonder 
is  that  the  poor  invalids  did  not  expire  after  twenty-four 
hours  of  residence  in  them.  They,  however,  contrived  to 
exist  there  about  three  months,  most  of  them  being  carried 
out  in  extremis.  The  houses  consisted  of  a  single  room, 
built  of  the  rough  stone  of  the  cavern, — which,  in  this  part, 
bears  all  the  appearance  of  a  stone-quarry, — and  without 
one  particle  of  comfort  beyond  a  boarded  floor,  the  small 
dwelling  being  constructed  entirely  on  the  model  of  a 
lock-up,  or  "  stone-jug."  The  cells  of  a  modern  prison  are 
quite  palatial  in  comparison  with  them.     The  darkness  ia 


Yblvkbton]         in  the  MAMMOTH  CAVE.  87 

such  as  might  be  felt ;  and  it  is  impossible  to  realize  what 
darkness  actually  is  until  experienced  in  some  place  where 
a  ray  of  sunlight  has  never  penetrated. 

From  the  mouth  of  the  cavern  to, that  part  where  the 
doctor's  houses  were  built  was  a  continual,  though  gradual, 
descent,  and  at  that  spot  there  was  a  solid  roof  of  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  of  earth.  The  houses — or  rather  de- 
tached stone  boxes — were  so  small  that  without  vitiating 
the  air  only  one  person  could  remain  in  them  at  one  time; 
so  that,  besides  the  darkness, — in  case  of  any  accident  to 
their  lamps, — these  poor  creatures  must  have  endured  utter 
solitude.  Their  food  was  brought  from  the  hotel,  two  or 
three  miles  away,  on  the  hill,  and  consequently  must  have 
been  cold  and  comfortless.  They  were  kept  prisoners 
within  their  narrow  cells,  for  the  rough  rocks  and  stones 
everywhere  abounding  rendered  a  promenade  for  invalids 
quite  impracticable.  The  deprivation  of  sunlight,  fresh 
air,  and  all  the  beauties  of  the  earth  must  have  been  the 
direst  punishment  imaginable.  No  wonder  these  poor 
creatures  were  carried  out  one  by  one  to  die. 

The  last  one  having  become  so  weak  that  it  was  deemed 
unsafe  to  move  him,  his  friends  resolved  to  stay  with  him  in 
the  cavern  till  the  last.  What  transpired  is  now  beyond 
investigation.  Whether  some  effect  of  light,  which  in  this 
cavern  has  a  most  mysterious  and  awful  appearance,  or 
whether  the  death-bed  was  one  of  terrors,  owing  to  some 
imp  of  mischief  having  laid  a  plan  to  "  scare"  them,  as  they 
say  in  this  country,  is  not  known  ;  but  they  rushed  terror- 
stricken  from  the  cave,  and  on  reaching  the  hotel  fell 
down  insensible.  Subsequently  they  declared  they  had 
seen  spirits  carrying  away  their  friend.  Mustering  a 
strong  force,  the  people  from  terra  Jirma,  with  the  guides 
and  plenty  of  torches,  sallied  down  to  the  lower  and  sup- 
posed infernal   regions.      The  spirits,  however,  had  fled, 


88  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.      [Yelvkrton 

leaving  nothing  but  the  stiffening  corpse  of  the  poor  con- 
sumptive. This  ended  all  hope  of  the  cavern  as  a  cure  for 
consumption. 

The  Mammoth  Cave  is  perhaps  the  most  extensively 
explored  cavern  known.  It  extends  for  nine  continuous 
miles,  80  that  it  would  be  possible  to  walk  fifty  miles  in 
and  out  by  different  roads.  The  cavern  consists  of  various 
large  chambers  and  lofty  domes,  averaging  from  twenty 
to  one  hundred  feet  in  height.  Some  of  the  chambers  ex- 
actly resemble  the  tombs  of  the  kings  of  Egypt,  and  the 
narrow  tortuous  defiles  through  the  rocks  are  also  very 
like  the  roads  into  the  Pyramids.  Most  of  these  chambers 
are  merely  natural  excavations  in  the  solid  rock.  One  of 
the  white-domed  ceilings  is  covered  with  a  thick  scroll- 
pattern  traced  in  black,  and  consists  entirely  of  bats,  which 
take  up  their  winter  quarters  in  these  caverns,  and  fare 
better  in  them  apparently  than  the  consumptives.  It  is 
curious  how  these  sightless  creatures,  from  various  parts 
of  the  country,  find  out  the  caves,  so  impervious  to  light 
and  cold,  and  where,  from  the  noise  they  make,  they  seem 
to  have  a  merry  time  of  it.  Not  so,  however,  the  visitors 
passing  through  this  part  of  the  cave ;  for  the  bats  are  apt 
to  fly  right  in  one's  face,  or  stick  against  one's  clothes,  and 
bite  furiously  at  any  attempt  to  dislodge  them. 

Still  farther  on  there  is  a  vast  vault,  upward  of  eighty 
feet  high,  formed  of  gypsum  with  some  sort  of  crystals 
embedded  in  it.  When  you  sit  and  gaze  on  it  for  some 
time,  by  the  dim  light  of  the  lamps,  the  vault  seems  to 
recede  into  azure  space.  A  bright  sparkling  veil  hangs 
over  it  like  the  milky  way,  seen  dimly  between  the  shelv- 
ing rocks,  which  bulge  out  in  round  soft  layers,  of  a  whitish- 
gray  cast,  and  look  exactly  like  petrified  clouds.  By  a 
judicious  movement  of  the  light  of  the  lamps  a  most 
beautiful  phenomenon  of  cloud-scenery  is  effected,  and  by 


Yelverton]         in  the  MAMMOTH  CAVE.  89 

their  gradual  extinction  a  Stygian  darkness  seems  to  wrap 
all  in  perfect  horror.  This,  the  "Star  Chamber,"  is  one  of 
the  finest  effects  in  the  Mammoth  Cave,  and  it  might  be 
enhanced  to  the  wildest  magnificer^ce  by  an  artistic  ar- 
rangement of  variouslj^  colored  lights.  The  cave  would  be 
a  fine  place  in  which  to  read  Dante's  Inferno. 

Here  and  there  through  the  cave  there  are  immense  pits 
or  chasms,  only  some  few  yards  in  circumference,  but  from 
two  to  three  hundred  feet  in  depth.  A  piece  of  paper  sat- 
urated in  oil  is  thrown  down  and  displays  the  fearful  gulf, 
the  bottom  of  which  appears  to  have  the  same  formation 
of  rock  and  clay  as  the  top.  Sometimes  we  ascended  ten 
or  twenty  feet  by  ladders  and  occasionally  descended.  We 
traversed  about  a  mile  of  passage  where  the  ceiling,  six 
feet  high,  was  as  smooth  and  white  as  plaster  could  have 
made  it.  It  was  literally  covered  with  the  names  of  former 
visitors.  In  some  places  there  were  hundreds  of  cards  on 
the  floor,  left  by  guests, — so  it  is  not  only  English  people 
who  have  a  mania  for  inscribing  their  names.  Indeed,  as 
to  that,  it  is  common  to  most  nations,  for  I  had  a  secretary 
named  Van  Kenkle,  who  wrote  his  name  upon  ever}'-  arti- 
cle belonging  to  me. 

For  eight  or  nine  miles  we  continued  to  traverse  pas- 
sages and  chambers,  sometimes  over  rough  pieces  of  rock, 
sometimes  through  the  thick  dust  of  ages,  sometimes 
through  the  tortuous  gorges, — mere  slits  between  the  rocks 
through  which  we  had  to  creep, — sometimes  coming  upon 
a  well  or  spring  of  sweet  water.  At  about  three  or  four 
miles  from  the  mouth  we  came  to  the  chamber  called  "The 
Church,"  from  its  resemblance  to  the  ancient  cathedral 
vault,  frequently  to  be  seen  on  the  European  continent 
under  churches  or  monasteries,  and  called  the  crypt. 

This  church  of  the  Mammoth  Cave  is  a  singular  phe- 
nomenon.    The  roof,  which  is  not  lofty,  is  supported  by  a 


90  WORLD'H  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.     [yELVKRTOW 

number  of  pillars,  in  many  places  forming  Gothic  arches, 
and  running  at  somewhat  regular  distances,  dividing  the 
church  into  aisles.  These  columns  are  actually  enormous 
stalactites,  and  the  fresco  of  petrified  water  upon  them  has 
all  the  appearance  of  the  most  rich  and  elaborate  carving. 
In  some  places  the  pillars  of  stone  have  not  quite  reached 
the  ground,  and  remain  suspended  from  the  roof.  Other 
and  smaller  condensed  stalactites  resembled  the  drooping 
rosettes  which  unite  the  spring  of  Gothic  arches.  In  one 
portion  of  the  church  is  an  enormous  stone,  carved  out 
exactly  like  the  bishop's  chair,  or  throne,  usually  seen  on 
the  high  altar.  The  altar  itself  is  verj'  like  those  primitive 
stone  edifices  sculptured  by  the  early  Christians,  when 
driven  to  celebrate  their  worship  in  the  catacombs  of 
Eome. 

This  chamber  is  a  marvellous  freak  of  nature  imitating 
art,  for  the  hand  of  man  has  never  touched  it  or  worked  it 
into  shape ;  yet  if  any  one  were  transported  here  uncon- 
sciously, he  would,  on  looking  round,  imagine  himself  in 
the  chancel  crypt  of  some  old  cathedral  of  the  ninth  or 
tenth  century.  Some  romantic  lovers,  evidently  influenced 
by  this  idea,  had  actually,  a  few  weeks  before  our  visit,  ar- 
rived at  the  cave,  accompanied  by  their  friends  and  the 
clergyman,  and  caused  the  marriage  ceremony  to  be  per- 
formed in  that  very  church.  It  was  a  whimsical  idea, 
and  must  have  been  a  cold,  comfortless,  clammy  affair ;  but 
the  feelings  and  sentiment  about  weddings  totally  differ  in 
America  from  our  European  notions  on  the  subject, — rarely 
is  it  a  joyous  merry-making,  rather  the  reverse,  as  I  have 
mentioned  in  a  former  chapter. 

A  few  miles  forther  on,  we  came  to  the  great  natural 
marvel,  the  subterranean  river,  with  its  buried  water  and 
eyeless  fish,  its  beautiful  parterres  of  stone  flowers  and 
shrubs,  like  a  garden  covered  with  morning  hoar-frost. 


Yblvkrton]  in  the  MAMMOTH  CAVE.  91 

On  this  dismal  river  we  were  launched  in  a  little  skiff,  not 
the  most  seaworthy  in  the  world, — and  I  must  confess  to 
having  experienced  a  feeling  of  dread  of  being  upset  on 
that  mysterious  stream,  whose  outlet  might  be,  for  all  we 
knew,  in  a  region  we  did  not  care  to  visit,  or  even  to  con- 
template the  possibility  of  visiting.  The  echo  had  a  thrill 
of  awe  that  made  one's  flesh  creep  and  hair  stand  on  end. 
If  one  called  spirits  there  from  the  vasty  deep,  and  they 
did  not  come,  yet  they  certainly  answered  from  the  dark 
shadows  of  the  rocks  falling  around  the  lurid  glare  of  the 
torches, — the  only  light  on  the  river  of  Erebus.  It  was 
quite  easy  to  believe  there  were  myriads  of  spirits  flitting 
around,  and  stretching  out  their  weird  arms  to  carry  us 
down  to  bottomless  Hades. 

There  is  another  very  interesting  cave,  which  is  not  so 
frequently  visited  by  travellers,  who  when  they  have  seen 
the  big  thing,  are  only  anxious  to  rush  away  again.  It  is 
not  80  extensive  as  the  Mammoth,  but  infinitely  more  beau- 
tiful and  more  inaccessible,  the  descent  having  to  be  accom- 
plished by  ladders ;  but  once  down,  it  is  a  fairy-land,  a 
continuous  scene  of  rapturous  enchantment.  The  stalac- 
tites simulate  the  most  exquisite  parterre  of  flowers,  the 
most  magnificent  forest  of  crystallized  trees,  the  most 
•wondrous  marble  carving,  even  to  that  perfection  of  art 
which  shrouds  the  figure  in  transparent  drapery,  like  "  the 
statue  of  the  Dead  Christ"  at  Naples ;  nor  was  Apollo's 
charm  unknown  there.  Our  guide  tapped  upon  these 
magic  crystals,  and  produced  the  sweetest  harmony  ear 
ever  heard,  or  at  least  it  sounded  so. 

The  walls  of  the  chambers  and  passages  were  encrusted 
with  the  stalactite  flowers.  They  could  be  broken  off  their 
stems,  and  as  so  few  visitors  ventured  down,  the  guide  al- 
lowed me  to  take  one.  One  chamber  was  absolutely  cur- 
tained with  this  marvellous  formation  of  petrified  water, 


92  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.     [Yeltertok 

and  when  the  guide  held  the  light  behind  the  scene,  it 
produced  the  effect  of  being  draped  in  the  purest  amber. 
These  drooping  curtains,  some  fifty  feet  in  height,  emitted 
the  most  musical  tones  when  struck.  If  the  physician  had 
brought  his  patients  to  these  fairy  bowers,  he  might,  I 
think,  have  succeeded  in  sending  them  home  quite  cured, 
but  I  believe  the  cave  had  not  been  discovered  then. 

With  a  brilliant  light  the  spot  was  perfectly  lovely,  and 
the  atmosphere  was  that  of  constant,  unchanged  temper- 
ature, which  puts  the  human  lungs  in  a  state  of  beatitude. 
I  should  not  in  the  least  object  to  live  in  that  paradise  of 
crystal  flowers  and  adamantine  forms,  the  most  beautiful 
that  the  imagination  of  man  has  ever  conceived  to  be  cur- 
tained in  living  amber,  and  pillowed — well,  I  must  admit 
that — in  dust ;  but  it  was  such  clean  dust.  ,  .  .  The  texture 
of  these  stalactites,  when  examined  by  daylight,  resembles 
alabaster,  thus  the  leaves,  flowers,  sprigs,  are  perfectly 
beautiful.  Nor  are  these  caves  without  their  incidents  of 
life's  drama.  The  grave  and  the  gay  have  been  enacted 
here  as  elsewhere.  The  episode  of  the  physician  and  his 
patients  was  sad  enough,  but  a  more  terrible  tragedy  re- 
sulted from  a  wager. 

The  guides  are  particular  on  entering  the  caves  with  a 
large  party  to  beg  them  to  keep  together,  as  it  would  be 
impossible  for  a  person  to  find  his  own  way  out  of  the 
labyrinth  of  passages,  chambers,  etc.  Two  gentlemen  of 
a  party  made  a  bet  that  they  would  accomplish  the  feat, 
and,  taking  their  opportunity,  slipped  away  from  their 
party,  without  the  guides  being  aware  of  their  absence, 
and  it  was  not  until  late  in  the  evening  that  the  other 
party  to  the  wager  remarked  that  those  two  foolhardy 
fellows  had  not  found  their  way  out  of  the  cavern.  This 
coming  to  the  ears  of  the  guide,  he  exclaimed,  "  Then  they 
are  dead  men !"     Nevertheless  they  went  in  full  force  to 


Yblverton]  in  the  MAMMOTH  CAVE.  93 

do  everything  that  was  possible  to  find  them,  but  spent 
the  night  in  vain  searches.  Sometimes  they  came  upon 
their  track  in  the  soft  dust,  then  lost  it  again. 

On  the  following  day  the  search  was  renewed  by  the 
guide  who  had  escorted  the  party,  and  his  description  of 
the  finding  of  one  of  the  gentlemen  was  truly  horrible : 
"  It  was  the  most  tarnation  cutting  up  job  I  ever  had  in 
my  life,"  said  the  guide.  *'  We  are  not  much  of  cowards, 
we  guides, — we  get  accustomed  to  awfulness  down  in  the 
bowels  of  the  earth ;  but  when  that  critter's  shrieks  first 
came  to  my  ear,  I  just  shivered  all  over  and  my  feet  rooted 
to  the  ground, — not  that  I  did  not  wish  to  save  him,  the 
poor  devil,  but  I  got  an  idea  that  that  shriek  came  right 
straight  from  hell  and  no  mistake,  and  I  had  no  fancy  to  go 
there  before  I  was  sent  for!  Wall,  when  I  had  wiped  my 
brow  and  taken  a  drink,  I  went  on  in  the  direction  of  the 
sound,  for  it  came  every  now  and  again,  the  echoes  making 
like  fifty  devils  instead  of  one.  I  found  him  sooner  than  I 
expected  ;  he  was  a  sight  to  behold  ;  he  flew  at  me  like  a 
tiger ;  he  clutched  me,  and  pulled  me,  and  wrestled  with  me, 
yelling  and  howling  like  a  wild  beast.  I  thought  he  would 
have  torn  me  to  pieces.  I  should  not  have  known  him 
again  for  the  same  gentleman.  His  eyes  glared,  his  mouth 
was  foaming,  and  his  hair  on  end,  his  clothes  all  torn  and 
covered  with  dust.  He  was  a  real  raving  maniac,  and  so 
he  remained,  as  far  as  I  know.  The  work  I  had  to  get 
him  out  of  that  cave!  He  would  stand  stock  still  and 
shake  all  over,  then  suddenly  clutch  at  me  again.  I  was 
the  stronger  man  of  the  two,  and  he  was  weak  from  long 
fasting,  or  I  never  should  have  got  him  out.  The  doctor 
said  he  was  fright-stricken." 

And  this  was  the  case,  as  they  thought,  with  the  other 
poor  fellow,  who  was  not  found  for  weeks,  it  having  been 
conjectured  that  he  had  fallen  down  a  hole.     One  of  the 


94  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Nichols 

guides  making  some  new  exploration,  discovered  him  sit- 
ting down,  no  sign  of  decomposition  having  taken  place, 
and  no  sign  of  his  having  died  of  starvation,  for  a  piece 
of  biscuit  was  found  in  his  pocket.  He  was  supposed  to 
have  died  of  terror,  the  terrible  darkness  working  upon 
the  nervous  system,  and  the  hopelessness  of  penetrating 
it  making  the  minutes  appear  hours.  A  guide  who  had 
once  been  lost  there  himself  for  some  twenty  hours,  said 
he  never  could  believe  he  had  not  been  there  for  several 
days. 


DOWN  THE  OHIO  AND  MISSISSIPPI. 

THOMAS  L.  NICHOLS. 

["  Forty  Tears  of  American  Life,"  by  Dr.  Thomas  L.  Nichols,  is 
the  source  of  the  following  selection,  which  gives  a  graphic  and  inter- 
esting picture  of  steamboat  life  on  the  great  rivers  of  the  West  in  the 
days  before  the  war.  It  needs  only  one  thing  to  complete  the  story, 
the  race  and  the  explosion,  which  was  no  uncommon  incident  at  that 
period,  but  an  example  of  which,  fortunately  for  our  author,  was 
not  among  his  experiences.] 

"We  embarked  on  a  little  steamboat  which  drew  twelve 
inches  of  water,  and  whose  single  wide  paddle-wheel  was 
at  the  stern,  and  extended  the  whole  width  of  the  hull.  A 
succession  of  dams  made  the  river  navigable  at  that  season 
of  low  water,  and  at  each  dam  we  were  let  down  by  a  lock 
to  a  lower  level.  At  the  high  stage  of  water  dams  and 
locks  are  all  buried  deep  beneath  the  surface,  and  larger 
steamboats  go  careering  over  them. 

What  I  best  remember,  in  crossing  the  AUeghanies  and 
descending  this  river,  were  the  beds  of  coal.  It  seemed  to 
be  everywhere  just  below  the  surface.    We  saw  it  along  the 


Nichols]    DOWN  THE   OHIO  AND  MISSISSIPPI.  95 

Toute,  where  the  people  dug  the  fuel  for  their  fires  out  of  a 
hole  in  the  yard,  ten  feet  from  the  door.  Along  the  high 
perpendicular  banks  of  the  river  there  were  strata  of  coal 
ten  or  twelve  feet  thick.  Men  were  digging  it  down  with 
picks  and  sliding  it  into  flat-boats,  which,  when  the  river 
rose,  would  float  down  with  the  current  to  Cincinnati, 
Louisville,  Memphis,  and  New  Orleans.  These  frail  boats 
— long  boxes  made  of  deal  boards  nailed  together,  and 
loaded  nearly  to  the  top — would  many  of  them  be  lost. 
The  swell  of  a  passing  steamboat,  or  a  snag  or  a  sawyer 
in  the  river,  would  sink  them.  They  would  ground  on 
sand-bars.  A  sudden  hurricane  sometimes  sinks  a  hundred 
of  them.  Perhaps  a  third  of  the  whole  number  are  lost, 
but  the  coal  costs  almost  nothing — three  halfpence  a  bushel 
— and  brings  a  price  proportional  to  the  distance  which  it 
floats  in  safety. 

At  Pittsburg,  a  city  of  coal  and  iron,  smoky  and  grimy  as 
Newcastle  or  Birmingham,  we  took  a  larger  boat,  but  still 
a  small  one,  for  Cincinnati.  The  Ohio  was  very  low.  We 
passed  slowly  down,  getting  pleasant  glimpses  of  the  towns 
upon  its  banks,  and  especially  of  the  flourishing  cities  of 
Cincinnati  and  Louisville. 

I  was  disappointed  with  the  Ohio  for  a  few  hundred  miles 
from  its  source,  most  unreasonable  tourist  that  I  was.  I 
recall  whatever  I  may  have  said  to  its  disparagement.  The 
Ohio,  charming  in  all  its  course  of  a  thousand  miles,  be- 
comes grandly  beautiful  below  Louisville  for  the  lower 
half  of  its  course.  Were  it  but  deep  as  well  as  broad  and 
splendid  in  its  great  reaches  and  graceful  curves  and  pic- 
turesque banks,  nothing  would  be  wanting  to  its  pleasing 
souvenirs.  But  I  have  tried  its  current  at  an  unfortunate 
period, — the  river  at  its  lowest  point.  At  its  highest  it 
would  be  fifty  feet  deeper, — a  great  torrent  pouring  onward 
towards  the  sea. 


96  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Nichols 

We  were  all  of  us  in  high  spirits  on  the  "  Fort  Wayne." 
The  crew  was  firing  up,  and  singing  merrily  below  ;  and  in 
the  cabin  we  were  sitting  round  our  good  coal-fire,  chat- 
ting, reading,  and  some  playing  poker,  calculating  the  next 
morning  but  one  to  wake  upon  the  Mississippi.  So  passed 
we  down  merrily,  until,  sunk  upon  a  bar,  we  saw  the  wreck 
of  the  steamboat  "  Plymouth,"  which  two  nights  before  had 
been  run  into  by  another  boat,  which  sunk  her  instantly, 
and  her  deck-passengers  woke  up  under  the  waters  of  the 
Ohio.  Twenty  unfortunates  were  drowned  ;  and  our  pas- 
sengers, accustomed  to  the  river,  spoke  of  it  with  perfect 
indifference,  as  a  very  common  aflPair. 

We  passed  this  bar  safely,  touching  bottom  indeed,  as 
we  often  did ;  but  in  passing  over  the  next  we  grounded 
firm  and  fast.  The  engines  were  worked  at  their  greatest 
power,  but  in  vain.  Efforts  were  made  all  day  to  get  the 
boat  off,  but  without  moving  her,  and  older  voyagers  began 
to  tell  pleasant  stories  of  boats  lying  for  three  weeks  on  a 
sand-bar,  and  getting  out  of  provisions  and  wood.  For  us 
passengers  there  was  but  patience,  but  for  captain  and  crew 
there  was  a  hard  night's  work  in  a  cold  November  rain. 
They  went  at  it  heartily,  and  when  we  woke  up  in  the 
morning  the  steamboat  was  afloat,  and  as  soon  as  she  had 
got  in  a  fresh  supply  of  wood  we  went  merrily  down  the 
Ohio  again,  putting  off  by  a  day  our  arrival  at  the  Father 
of  Waters.  So  we  went,  talking  on  morals  and  politics, 
reading  the  "Wandering  Jew,"  and  playing  poker,  until 
dinner  came  ;  and  just  after  dinner  we  came  to  another  bar, 
on  which  we  ran  as  before,  giving  our  crew  a  second  night 
of  hardship  and  toil,  and  us  a  more  thorough  disgust  of 
low-water  navigation.  We  got  off  by  morning  as  before, 
by  great  exertion  and  the  steady  use  of  effective  ma- 
chinery, the  boat  being  hoisted  over  the  bar  inch  by  inch 
by  the  aid  of  great  spars,  blocks,  and  windlass. 


Nichols]    DOWN  THE  OHIO  AND  MISSISSIPPI.  97 

There  was  still,  but  a  short  distance  below  this  spot,  the 
worst  bar  of  all  to  pass.  .  .  .  Having  been  twice  aground 
and  lost  nearly  two  days,  our  captain  determined  to  take 
every  precaution.  He  hired  a  flat-boat,  into  which  were 
discharged  many  tons  of  whiskey  and  butter,  and  which 
was  lashed  alongside.  A  boat  was  sent  down  to  sound  the 
channel  and  lay  buoj^s.  This  done,  just  as  breakfast  was 
ready,  all  the  male  passengers  were  summoned  to  go  on 
board  the  flat-boat,  fastened  alongside,  with  the  butter  and 
whiskey,  so  as  to  lighten  the  steamer  as  much  as  possible, 
and  when  we  were  all  aboard  we  started  down.  As  luck 
would  have  it,  the  current  carried  the  boat  a  few  feet  out 
of  her  proper  course,  and  she  stuck  fast  again.  The  wheels 
could  not  move  her,  and  we  jumped  on  board  again  to  eat 
our  breakfast,  now  grown  cold  from  waiting. 

This  despatched,  we  went  out  on  the  promenade  deck, 
and  to  our  chagrin  saw  the  "  Louis  Philippe,"  which  left 
Louisville  one  day  behind  us,  coming  down,  looking  light 
and  lofty,  with  a  flat-boat  alongside.  She  came  down 
rapidly,  and  passed  close  by  us,  her  passengers  laughing  in 
triumph  at  our  predicament.  The  "  Louis  Philippe"  had 
not  got  her  length  below  us  before  she  too  stuck  fast  and 
swung  roimd  into  a  more  difiicult  position,  lying  broadside 
upon  the  bar,  with  the  strong  current  full  against  her. 
The  laugh  was  now  on  our  side,  and  the  "Louis  Philippe" 
gave  rise  to  the  more  jokes,  because  her  hurricane-deck 
was  entirely  covered  with  cabbages,  with  their  stumps 
sticking  up,  giving  her  a  droll  appearance,  while  our  hur- 
ricane-deck was  filled  with  chicken-coops.  It  was  time 
now  to  go  to  work  in  eaimest.  More  freight  was  dis- 
charged into  our  lighter,  and  all  the  passengers,  except  the 
women  and  children,  were  sent  on  board  her.  We  thickly 
covered  the  barrels  of  whiskey  and  kegs  of  butter,  and  the 

captain,  to  keep  us  off  the  steamer,  east  us  loose,  and  we 
Vol.  1—7 


98  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Nicholb 

floated  off  with  the  current,  and  were  safely  blown  ashore 
on  the  Kentucky  side,  about  a  mile  below,  leaving  the  two 
steamers  above  to  get  off  as  soon  as  they  were  able. 

When  our  flat-boat  touched  the  Kentucky  bank  of  the 
river,  her  ninety  passengers  jumped  joyfully  ashore,  and 
with  noisy  hilarity  scattered  along  the  beach.  The  morn- 
ing was  beautiful.  The  clear  sunlight  glittered  upon  the 
river  and  lighted  up  the  forest  with  golden  radiance.  The 
sky  was  blue,  and  the  air  cool  and  bracing.  The  land  was 
high,  well  wooded,  and  fertile.  Seeing  a  substantial- 
looking  double  log  house  a  short  distance  from  the  river, 
about  a  dozen  of  us  went  up  to  warm  our  fingers  at  its 
fire.  .  .  . 

In  a  few  moments  our  lucky  boat  swung  round  and 
came  down  for  us,  leaving  the  less  fortunate  "  Louis  Phi- 
lippe" to  get  off  as  she  could,  and  her  passengers  to  learn 
not  to  halloo  before  they  got  out  of  the  wood.  And  now — 
now,  by  the  first  light  of  the  morning  for  this  grand,  this 
terrible  Mississippi! 

It  was  a  misty  moonlight  night  when  we  came  to  the 
confluence  of  the  Ohio  with  the  Mississippi.  We  had  come 
down  a  tedious,  and  in  some  degree  a  perilous,  course  of 
one  thousand  miles ;  we  had  still  a  thousand  miles  to  go 
before  arriving  at  New  Orleans,  which  is  the  next  stage  of 
our  Southern  journey. 

The  Mississippi  and  the  Ohio  come  together  at  an  acute 
angle,  and  their  waters  flow  down  in  unmingled  currents, 
differing  in  color,  for  a  long  distance.  Even  at  night  we 
could  distinguish  the  line  which  divides  them.  The  Ohio 
water  is  filled  with  fine  sand  and  loam  ;  the  Mississippi  is 
discolored  with  clay  besides,  and  the  water  looks  like  a  tub 
of  soapsuds  after  a  hard  day's  washing. 

Whoever  looks  upon  the  map  with  a  utilitarian  eye  sees 
at  the  confluence  of  these  great  rivers  a  favorable  point 


Nichols]    DOWN  THE  OHIO  AND  MISSISSIPPI.  99 

for  a  great  city.  A  few  years  since  an  English  company 
took  possession  of  or  purchased  this  site,  and,  with  a  capital 
of  nearly  a  million  of  pounds  sterling,  commenced  opera- 
tions. They  lithographed  plans  of  the  city  and  views  of 
the  public  buildings.  There  were  domes,  spires,  and  cupo- 
las, hotels,  warehouses,  and  lines  of  steamboats  along  both 
rivers.  How  fair,  how  magnificent  it  all  looked  on  the 
India  paper !  You  should  see  the  result  as  I  saw  it  in  the 
misty  miasma,  by  the  pale  moonlight.  Cairo  is  a  swamp, 
overflowed  by  every  rise  of  either  river.  The  large  hotel, 
one  of  the  two  buildings  erected,  is  slowly  sinking  beneath 
the  surface.  Piles  will  not  stand  up,  and,  however  deep 
they  are  driven,  sink  still  deeper.  The  present  business 
of  the  place,  consisting  of  selling  supplies  to  steamboats, 
and  transferring  passengers  from  the  down-  to  the  up-river 
boats,  is  done  on  floating  store-boats,  made  fast  to  the 
shore.  Cairo  has  since  been  built  into  a  considerable  town 
by  dyking  out  the  rivers,  and  was  an  important  naval  and 
military  point  during  the  Civil  War.  .  .  . 

This  is  my  thirteenth  day  of  steamboating, — the  usual 
time  across  the  Atlantic, — and  I  have  four  days  more  at 
least.  You  may  well  suppose  that  a  hundred  passengers 
are  put  to  their  trumps  for  amusement.  The  "  Wandering 
Jew"  did  very  well  as  long  as  it  lasted.  Some  keep  on 
reading  novels,  having  laid  in  a  stock  or  exchanged  with 
other  passengers,  but  cards  are  the  resource  of  the  ma- 
jority. The  centre-tables,  as  soon  as  breakfast  is  over, 
are  occupied  with  parties  playing  poker  or  loo,  and  are  cov- 
ered with  bank-notes  and  silver.  Many  who  do  not  play 
look  on  to  see  the  frolics  of  fortune.  Several  of  these 
players  are  professional  gamesters,  and  quite  cool,  as  men 
who  hope  to  win  by  chance  or  skill  ought  to  be.  Others, 
in  their  flushing  cheeks  and  trembling  hands  and  voices, 
show  how  the  passion  is  fastening  upon  them.    These  are 


100  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Nichols 

driven  by  weariness  and  tempted  by  the  smallness  of  the 
game  to  commence  playing.  The  passion  increases  day 
b}'  day,  and  so  do  the  stakes,  until,  before  reaching  New- 
Orleans,  the  vei'dant  ones  have  lost  all  their  money,  and 
with  it  their  self-respect  and  their  confidence  in  the  future. 
Depressed  by  shame,  disheartened  at  being  in  a  strange 
city  without  money,  they  are  in  a  miserable  condition,  and 
ready  to  throw  themselves  away.  They  become  dependent 
upon  the  blacklegs  who  have  led  them  on,  are  instructed 
in  their  evil  courses,  made  their  tools  and  catspaws,  and 
perhaps  induced  to  enter  upon  courses  of  crime  of  a  more 
dangerous  character.  All  this  comes  of  playing  cards  to 
kill  time  on  the  Mississippi. 

While  those  who  need  the  excitement  of  betting  play  at 
games  of  bluff  and  poker,  some  amuse  themselves  with 
whist,  and  old-fashioned  fellows  get  into  a  corner  and  have 
a  bout  at  old  sledge ;  and  now  at  eleven  o'clock  the  great 
cabin  of  our  boat  presents  a  curious  appearance.  Playing 
around  the  tables,  with  noisy,  joyous  laughter,  are  half  a 
dozen  merry  little  boys  and  girls.  These  have  all  got  well 
acquainted  with  each  other,  and  seem  to  enjoy  themselves 
thoroughly. 

I  can  give  you  little  idea  of  this  portion  of  the  Missis- 
sippi. The  river  is  very  low,  and  does  not  seem  large 
enough  to  be  the  outlet  of  the  thousand  streams  above ; 
for  the  waters  on  which  we  float  come  not  only  from  the 
melting  snows  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  but  there  are 
mingled  with  them  the  bright  springs  of  Western  New 
York,  a  large  part  of  Pennsylvania,  part  of  Maryland,  Vir- 
ginia, North  Carolina,  and  a  large  portion  of  the  Western 
States.  Yet,  with  all  the  waters  of  this  vast  area,  our  boat 
can  sometimes  scarcely  keep  the  channel.  Last  night, 
running  at  her  full  speed,  she  went  crashing  into  a  snag, 
with  a  concussion  and  scraping  which  woke  us  all  up,  and 


Nichols]    DOWN  THE  OHIO  AND  MISSISSIPPI.  101 

made  the  timid  ones  spring  out  of  their  berths.  Our 
safety  was  in  our  going  down-stream  instead  of  up, — the 
diiference  of  rubbing  the  back  of  a  hedgehog  the  right  and 
the  wrong  way.  These  snags  are  gr6at  trees  which  cave 
off  and  ai-e  washed  down  the  current ;  the  roots  become 
embedded  in  the  bottom ;  and  the  stem  and  branches, 
pointing  down-stream,  and  half  or  wholly  covered  with 
water,  form  a  terrible  steamboat  de  frise,  which  tears  an 
ascending  steamboat  to  pieces,  but  generally  allows  those 
going  with  the  current  to  pass  over  or  through  them  with 
safety. 

The  river  is  full  of  islands,  so  that  you  often  see  but 
a  small  portion  of  its  waters ;  it  winds  along  in  so  many 
convolutions  that  you  must  steam  a  hundi'ed  miles  often 
to  make  twenty  in  a  straight  line.  Many  of  these  bends 
may  be  avoided  at  high  water  by  taking  the  cross  cuts, 
called  "  running  a  chute,'''  when  the  whole  country  for 
twenty  miles  on  each  side  is  submerged. 

Usuall}^,  on  one  side  or  the  other,  there  is  a  perpendicular 
bank  of  clay  and  loam  some  thirty  feet  high,  and  here  and 
there  are  small  plantations.  The  river  gradually  wears 
them  off,  carrying  down  whole  aci'es  in  a  season.  From 
this  bank  the  land  descends  back  to  the  swamps  which 
skirt  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  river.  These  in  very- 
low  water  are  comparatively  dry,  but  as  the  river  rises, 
they  fill  up,  and  the  whole  country  is  like  a  great  lake^ 
filled  with  a  dense  growth  of  timber.  These  curving  banks, 
the  rude  and  solitary  huts  of  the  wood-cutters,  the  vast 
bars  of  sand,  covered  gradually  with  canebrake,  and  the 
range  of  impenetrable  forest  for  hundreds  of  miles,  com- 
prise a  vast  gloomy  landscape,  which  must  be  seen  to  be 
realized.  ,  .  . 

While  the  scene  is  fresh  in  my  memory  let  me  describe 
to  you  my  last  morning  upon  the  Mississippi.     But  why  do 


102  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Nichols 

I  speak  thus  of  a  scene  which  can  never  fade  from  my 
remembrance,  but  in  all  future  years  will  glow  the  bright- 
est picture  which  nature  and  civilization  have  daguerreo- 
typed  upon  my  heart  ? 

I  rose  before  the  sun,  while  all  the  east  was  glowing  with 
his  refracted  light.  The  steamboat  had  made  excellent 
progress  all  night,  not  being  obliged  to  stop  by  fog,  and  was 
only  detained  a  short  time  by  running  plump  into  the  mud 
on  the  river's  bank  ;  but  she  soon  backed  out  of  that  scrape. 

We  had  here,  fifty  miles  above  New  Orleans,  an  almost 
tropical  sunrise.  The  Mississippi,  as  if  tired  of  its  irregu- 
larities, flowed  on  an  even  current  between  its  low  banks, 
along  which  on  each  side  are  raised  embankments  of  earth 
from  four  to  ten  feet  in  height, — the  levee,  which  extends 
for  hundreds  of  miles  along  the  river,  defending  the  planta- 
tions from  being  overflowed  at  high  water. 

As  I  gained  the  hurricane-deck  the  scene  was  enchant- 
ing, and,  alas !  I  fear  indescribable.  On  each  side,  as  far 
as  the  eye  could  reach,  were  scattered  the  beautiful  houses 
of  the  planters,  flanked  on  each  side  by  the  huts  of  their 
negroes,  with  trees,  shrubbery,  and  gardens.  For  miles 
away,  up  and  down  the  river,  extended  the  bright  green 
fields  of  sugar-cane,  looking  more  like  great  fields  of  In- 
dian corn  than  any  crop  to  which  a  Northern  eye  is  fa- 
miliar, but  surpassing  that  in  vividness  of  the  tints  and 
density  of  growth,  the  cane  growing  ten  feet  high,  and  the 
leaves  at  the  top  covering  the  whole  surface.  Back  of 
these  immense  fields  of  bright  green  were  seen  the  darker 
shades  of  the  cypress  swamp,  and,  to  give  the  most  pic- 
turesque effect  to  the  landscape,  on  every  side,  in  the  midst 
of  each  great  plantation,  rose  the  tall  white  towers  of  the 
sugar-mills,  throwing  up  graceful  columns  of  smoke  and 
clouds  of  steam.  The  sugar-making  process  was  in  full 
operation. 


Nichols]    DOWN  THE  OHIO  AND  MISSISSIPPI.  103 

After  the  wild  desolation  of  the  Mississippi,  for  more 
than  half  its  course  below  the  Ohio,  you  will  not  wonder 
that  I  gazed  upon  this  scene  of  wealth  and  beauty  in  a  sort 
of  ecstasy.  Oh !  how  unlike  our  November  in  the  far, 
bleak  north  was  this  scene  of  life  in  Louisiana !  The  earth 
seemed  a  paradise  of  fertility  and  loveliness.  The  sun  rose 
and  lighted  up  with  a  brighter  radiance  a  landscape  of 
which  I  had  not  imagined  half  its  beauty. 
•  The  steamer  stopped  to  wood,  and  I  sprang  on  shore. 
Well,  the  air  was  as  soft  and  delicious  as  our  last  days  in 
June, — the  gardens  were  filled  with  flowers ;  yes,  bushels 
of  roses  were  blooming  for  those  who  chose  to  pluck  them ; 
while  oranges  were  turning  their  green  to  gold,  and  figs 
were  ripening  in  the  sun.  It  was  a  Creole  plantation, — 
French  the  only  language  heard.  A  procession  of  carts, 
each  drawn  by  a  pair  of  mules,  and  driven  by  a  fat  and 
happy  negro,  who  seemed  to  joke  with  every  motion  and 
laugh  all  over  from  head  to  foot,  came  from  the  sugar- 
house  to  get  wood,  of  which  an  immense  quantity  was 
lying  upon  the  banks  of  the  river,  saved  from  the  vast 
mass  of  forest  trees  washed  down  at  every  freshet. 

I  cannot  describe  the  appropriateness  of  everything  on 
these  plantations.  These  Creole  planters  look  as  if  nature 
had  formed  them  for  good  masters ;  in  any  other  sphere 
they  are  out  of  their  element, — here  most  decidedly  at 
home.  The  negroes,  male  and  female,  seem  made  on  pur- 
pose for  their  masters,  and  the  mules  were  certainly  made 
on  purpose  for  the  negroes.  Any  imaginable  change  would 
destroy  this  harmonious  relation.  Do  they  not  all  enjoy 
alike  this  paradise, — this  scene  of  plenty  and  enchantment? 
The  negroes  work  and  are  all  the  better  for  such  beneficial 
exercise,  as  they  would  be  all  the  worse  without  it.  They 
have  their  feasts,  their  holidays, — more  liberty  than  thou- 
sands of  New  York  mechanics  enjoy  in  their  lifetimes,  and 


104  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Olmsted 

a  freedom  from  care  and  anxiety  which  a  poor  white  man 
never  knows.  I  begin  to  think  that  Paradise  is  on  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  that  the  nearest  approach  to 
the  realization  of  the  schemes  of  Fourier  is  on  our  Southern 
plantations. 


FROM  NEW  ORLEANS  TO  RED  RIVER. 

FREDERICK  LAW  OLMSTED. 

[We  have  given  a  descriptive  sketch  of  steamboat  travel  down  the 
Ohio  and  Mississippi  in  the  first  half  of  the  century,  in  what  we  may 
almost  call  the  days  of  the  barbarians.  It  is  here  followed  by  a  sketch 
of  steamboating,  from  New  Orleans  to  and  up  the  Red  River,  in  the 
ante- war  period,  in  which  will  be  found  methods  as  unprogressive 
and  people  as  uncivilized  as  in  any  period  of  modern  travel.  The  get- 
ting off  was  a  marvel  of  procrastination,  worthy  of  the  most  primitive 
days  of  American  travel.] 

On  a  certain  Saturday  morning,  when  I  had  determined 
on  the  trip,  I  found  that  two  boats,  the  "  Swamp  Fox"  and 
the  "  St.  Charles,"  were  advertised  to  leave  the  same  evening 
for  the  Eed  Eiver.  I  went  to  the  levee,  and  finding  the  "  St. 
Charles"  to  be  the  better  of  the  two,  I  asked  her  clerk  if  I 
could  engage  a  state-room.  There  was  just  one  state-room 
berth  left  unengaged ;  I  was  requested  to  place  my  name 
against  its  number  on  the  passenger  book  ;  and  did  so, 
understanding  that  it  was  thus  secured  for  me. 

Having  taken  leave  of  my  friends,  I  had  my  luggage 
brought  down,  and  went  on  board  at  half-past  three, — the 
boat  being  advertised  to  sail  at  four.  Four  o'clock  passed, 
and  freight  was  still  being  taken  on,— a  fire  had  been  made 
in  the  furnace,  and  the  boat's  big  bell  was  rung.  I  noticed 
that  the  "  Swamp  Fox"  was  also  firing  up,  and  that  her  bell 


Olmsted]     FROM  NEW  ORLEANS  TO  RED  RIVER.        105 

rang  whenever  ours  did, — though  she  was  not  advertised  to 
sail  till  five.  At  length,  when  five  o'clock  came,  the  clerk 
told  me  he  thought,  perhaps,  they  would  not  be  able  to  get 
off  at  all  that  night, — there  was  so  much  freight  still  to 
come  on  board.  Six  o'clock  arrived,  and  he  felt  certain 
that,  if  they  aid  get  off  that  night,  it  would  not  be  till  very 
late.  At  half-past  six  he  said  the  captain  had  not  come  on 
board  yet,  and  he  was  quite  sure  they  would  not  be  able  to 
get  off  that  night.  I  prepared  to  return  to  the  hotel,  and 
asked  if  they  would  leave  in  the  morning.  He  thought 
not.  He  was  confident  they  would  not.  He  was  positive 
they  could  not  leave  now  before  Monday, — Monday  noon. 
Monday  at  twelve  o'clock, — I  might  rely  upon  it. 

Monday  morning  the  Picayune  stated,  editorially,  that 
the  floating  palace,  the  "  St.  Charles,"  would  leave  for  Shreve- 
port  at  five  o'clock,  and  if  anybody  wanted  to  make  a 
quick  and  luxurious  trip  up  Eed  Eiver  with  a  jolly  good 
soul,  Captain  Lickup  was  in  command.  It  also  stated,  in 
another  paragraph,  that  if  any  of  its  friends  had  any 
business  up  Red  River,  Captain  Pitchup  was  a  whole- 
souled  veteran  in  that  trade,  and  was  going  up  with 
that  remarkably  low-draught  favorite,  the  "  Swamp  Fox," 
to  leave  at  four  o'clock  that  evening.  Both  boats  were 
also  announced,  in  the  advertising  columns,  to  leave  at 
four  o'clock. 

As  the  clerk  had  said  noon,  however,  I  thought  there 
might  have  been  a  misprint  in  the  newspaper  announce- 
ments, and  so  went  on  board  the  "  St.  Chai'les"  again  before 
twelve.  The  clerk  informed  me  that  the  newspaper  was 
right, — they  had  finally  concluded  not  to  sail  until  four 
o'clock.  Before  four  I  returned  again,  and  the  boat  again 
fired  up,  and  rung  her  bell.  So  did  the  "  Swamp  Fox." 
Neither,  however,  was  quite  ready  to  leave  at  four  o'clock. 
Not  quite  ready  at  five.     Even  at  six — not  yet  quite  ready. 


106  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Olmstid 

At  seven,  the  fires  having  burned  out  in  the  furnace,  and 
the  stevedores  having  gone  away,  leaving  a  quantity 
of  freight  yet  on  the  dock,  without  advising  this  time 
with  the  clerk,  I  had  my  baggage  re-transferred  to  the 
hotel. 

A  similar  performance  was  repeated  on  Tuesday. 
On  Wednesday  I  found  the  berth  I  had  engaged  occu- 
pied by  a  very  strong  man,  who  was  not  very  polite  when 
I  informed  him  that  I  believed  there  was  some  mistake, — 
that  the  berth  he  was  using  had  been  engaged  to  me.  I 
went  to  the  clerk,  who  said  that  he  was  sorry,  but  that,  as 
I  had  not  stayed  on  board  that  night,  and  had  not  paid  for 
the  berth,  he  had  not  been  sure  that  I  should  go,  and  he 
had,  therefore,  given  it  to  the  gentleman  who  now  had  it 
in  possession,  and  whom,  he  thought,  it  would  not  be  best 
to  try  to  reason  out  of  it.  He  was  very  busy,  he  observed, 
because  the  boat  was  going  to  start  at  four  o'clock ;  if 
I  would  now  pay  him  the  price  of  passage,  he  would  do 
the  best  he  could  for  me.  When  he  had  time  to  examine, 
he  would  probably  put  me  in  some  other  state-room,  per- 
haps quite  as  good  a  one  as  that  I  had  lost.  Meanwhile, 
he  kindly  offered  me  the  temporary  use  of  his  private 
state-room.  I  inquired  if  it  was  quite  certain  that  the 
boat  would  get  off  at  four;  for  I  had  been  asked  to  dine 
with  a  friend  at  three  o'clock.  There  was  not  the  smallest 
doubt  of  it, — at  four  they  would  leave.  They  were  all 
ready  at  that  moment,  and  only  waited  till  four  because 
the  agent  had  advertised  that  they  would, — merely  a  tech- 
nical point  of  honor. 

But,  by  some  error  of  calculation,  I  suppose,  she  didn't 
go  at  four.     Nor  at  five.     Nor  at  six. 

At  seven  o'clock  the  "  Swamp  Fox"  and  the  "  St.  Charles" 
were  both  discharging  dense  smoke  from  their  chimneys, 
blowing  steam,  and  ringing  bells.     It  was  obvious   that 


Olmsted]     FROM  NEW  ORLEANS  TO  RED  RIVER.        107 

each  was  making  every  exertion  to  get  oflF  before  the 
other.  The  captains  of  both  boats  stood  at  the  break  of 
the  hurricane-deck,  apparently  waiting  in  great  impatience 
for  the  mails  to  come  on  board. 

The  "  St.  Charles"  was  crowded  with  passengers,  and  her 
decks  were  piled  high  with  freight.  Bumboatmen,  about 
the  bows,  were  offering  shells,  and  oranges,  and  bananas ; 
and  newsboys,  and  peddlers,  and  tract  distributors  were 
squeezing  about  with  their  wares  among  the  passengers. 
I  had  confidence  in  their  instinct;  there  had  been  no  such 
numbers  of  them  the  previous  evenings,  and  I  made  up  my 
mind,  although  past  seven  o'clock,  that  the  "  St.  Charles" 
would  not  let  her  fires  go  down  again. 

Among  the  peddlers  there  were  two  of  cheap  "  litera- 
ture," and  among  their  yellow  covers  each  had  two  or 
three  copies  of  the  cheap  edition  (pamphlet)  of  "  Uncle 
Tom's  Cabin."  They  did  not  cry  it  out  as  they  did  the 
other  books  they  had,  but  held  it  forth  among  others,  so 
that  its  title  could  be  seen.  One  of  them  told  me  he  car- 
ried it  because  gentlemen  often  inquired  for  it,  and  he  sold 
a  good  many ;  at  least  three  copies  were  sold  to  passengei's 
on  the  boat.  .  .  . 

It  was  twenty  minutes  after  seven  when  the  captain 
observed, — scanning  the  levee  in  every  direction  to  see  if 
there  was  another  cart  or  carriage  coming  towards  us, — 
"  No  use  waiting  any  longer,  I  reckon :  throw  off,  Mr. 
Heady."  (The  "  Swamp  Fox"  did  not  leave,  I  afterwards 
heard,  till  the  following  Saturday.) 

We  backed  out,  winded  round  head  up,  and  as  we  began 
to  breast  the  current,  a  dozen  of  the  negro  boat-hands, 
standing  on  the  freight  piled  up  on  the  low  forecastle, 
began  to  sing,  waving  hats  and  handkerchiefs,  and  shirts 
lashed  to  poles,  towards  the  people  who  stood  on  the  sterna 
of  the  steamboats  at  the  levee. 


108  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Olmsted- 

After  losing  a  few  lines,  I  copied  literally  into  my  note- 
book : 

' '  Ye  see  dem  boat  way  dah  ahead. 

Chorus. — Oahoiohieu. 
De  San  Charles  is  arter  'em,  dey  mus'  go  behine. 

Oahoiohieu. 
So  stir  up  dah,  my  livelies,  stir  her  up. 

Oahoiohieu. 
Dey's  burnin'  not'n  but  fat  and  rosum. 

Oahoiohieu. 
Oh,  we  is  gwine  up  de  Red  River,  oh  ! 

Oahoiohieu. 
Oh,  we  mus'  part  from  you  dah  asho'. 

Oahoiohieu. 
Gib  my  lub  to  Dinah,  oh  ! 

Oahoiohieu."  .  .  . 

The  wit  introduced  into  these  songs  has,  I  suspect,  been 
rather  over-estimated. 

As  soon  as  the  song  was  ended,  I  went  into  the  cabin  to 
remind  the  clerk  to  obtain  a  berth  for  me.  I  found  two 
brilliant  supper-tables  reaching  the  whole  length  of  the 
long  cabin,  and  a  file  of  men  standing  on  each  side  of  both 
of  them,  ready  to  take  seats  as  soon  as  the  signal  was  given. 

The  clerk  was  in  his  room,  with  two  other  men,  and 
appeared  to  be  more  occupied  than  ever.  His  manner 
was,  I  thought,  now  rather  cool,  not  to  say  rude ;  and  he 
very  distinctly  informed  me  that  every  berth  was  occupied, 
and  he  didn't  know  where  I  was  to  sleep.  He  judged  I 
was  able  to  take  care  of  myself;  and  if  I  was  not,  he  was 
quite  sure  he  had  too  much  to  do  to  give  all  his  time  to 
my  surveillance.  I  then  went  to  the  commander,  and  told 
him  that  I  thought  myself  entitled  to  a  berth.  I  had  paid 
for  one,  and  should  not  have  taken  passage  in  the  boat  if 
it  had  not  been  promised  me.  I  was  not  disposed  to  fight: 
for  it,  particularly  as  the  gentleman  occupying  the  berth 
engaged  to  me  was  a  deal  bigger  fellow  than  I,  and  alsa- 


Olmsted]    FROM  NEW  ORLEANS   TO  RED  RIVER.        109 

carried  a  bigger  knife,  but  I  thought  the  clerk  was  account- 
able to  me  for  a  berth,  and  I  begged  that  he  would  inform 
him  so.  He  replied  that  the  clerk  probably  knew  his 
business;  he  had  nothing  to  do  with  it;  and  walked  away 
from  me.  I  then  addressed  myself  to  a  second  clerk,  or 
sub-officer  of  some  denomination,  who  more  good-naturedly 
informed  me  that  half  the  company  were  in  the  same  con- 
dition as  myself,  and  I  needn't  be  alarmed,  cots  would  be 
provided  for  us. 

As  I  saw  that  the  supper-table  was  likely  to  be  crowded, 
I  asked  if  there  would  be  a  second  table.  "  Yes,  they'll  keep 
on  eating  till  they  all  get  through."  I  walked  the  deck 
till  I  saw  those  who  had  been  first  seated  at  the  table 
coming  out ;  then,  going  in,  I  found  the  table  still  crowded, 
while  many  stood  waiting  to  take  seats  as  fast  as  any  were 
vacated.  I  obtained  one  for  myself  at  length,  and  had  no 
sooner  occupied  it  than  two  half-intoxicated  and  garrulous 
men  took  the  adjoining  stools. 

It  was  near  nine  o'clock  before  the  tables  were  cleared 
away,  and  immediately  afterwards  the  waiters  began  to 
rig  a  framework  for  sleeping-cots  in  their  place.  These 
cots  were  simply  canvas  shelves,  five  feet  and  a  half  long, 
two  wide,  and  less  than  two  feet  aj^art,  perpendicularly. 
A  waiter,  whose  good  will  I  had  purchased  at  the  supper- 
table,  gave  me  a  hint  to  secure  one  of  them  for  myself,  as 
soon  as  they  were  erected,  by  putting  my  hat  in  it.  I  did 
so,  and  saw  that  others  did  the  same.  I  chose  a  cot  as 
near  as  possible  to  the  midship  door  of  the  cabin,  perceiving 
that  there  was  not  likely  to  be  the  best  possible  air,  after 
all  the  passengers  were  laid  up  for  the  night  in  this  com- 
pact manner. 

Nearly  as  fast  as  the  cots  were  ready  they  were  occu- 
pied. To  make  sure  that  mine  was  not  stolen  from  me,  I 
also,  without  much  undressing,  laid  myself  away.     A  single 


no  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Olmsted 

blanket  was  the  only  bedclothing  provided.  I  had  not 
lain  long  before  I  was  driven,  by  an  exceedingly  offensive 
Bmell,  to  search  for  a  cleaner  neighborhood ;  but  I  found 
all  the  cots,  fore  and  aft,  were  either  occupied  or  engaged. 
I  immediately  returned,  and  that  I  might  have  a  dernier 
ressort,  left  my  shawl  in  that  I  had  first  obtained. 

In  the  forward  part  of  the  cabin  there  was  a  bar,  a 
stove,  a  table,  and  a  placard  of  rules,  forbidding  smoking, 
gambling,  or  swearing  in  the  cabin,  and  a  close  company 
of  drinkers,  smokers,  card-players,  and  constant  swearers. 
I  went  out,  and  stepped  down  to  the  boiler-deck.  The 
boat  had  been  provided  with  very  poor  wood,  and  the  fire- 
men were  crowding  it  into  the  furnaces  whenever  they 
could  find  room  for  it,  driving  smaller  sticks  between  the 
larger  ones  at  the  top  by  a  battering-ram  method. 

Most  of  the  firemen  were  Irish  born ;  one  with  whom  I 
conversed  was  English.  He  said  they  were  divided  into 
three  watches,  each  working  four  hours  at  a  time,  and  all 
hands  liable  to  be  called,  when  wooding,  or  landing,  or 
taking  on  freight,  to  assist  the  deck-hands.  They  were 
paid  BOW  but  thirty  dollars  a  month— ordinarily  forty,  and 
sometimes  sixty — and  board.  He  was  a  sailor  bred.  This 
boat-life  was  harder  than  seafaring,  but  the  pay  was  better, 
and  the  trips  were  short.  The  regular  thing  was  to  make 
two  trips,  and  then  lay  up  for  a  spree.  It  would  be  too 
hard  on  a  man,  he  thought,  to  pursue  it  regularly;  two 
trips  "  on  end"  was  as  much  as  a  man  could  stand.  He 
must  then  take  a  "  refreshment."  Working  this  way  for 
three  weeks,  and  then  refreshing  for  about  one,  he  did  not 
think  it  was  unhealthy,  no  more  than  ordinary  seafaring. 
He  concluded  by  informing  me  that  the  most  striking 
peculiarity  of  the  business  was  that  it  kept  a  man,  not- 
withstanding wholesale  periodical  refreshment,  very  dry. 
He  was  of  opinion  that  after  the  information  I   had  ob- 


Olmsted]     FROM  NEW  ORLEANS   TO  RED  RIVER.        Ill 

tained,  if  I  gave  him  at  least  the  price  of  a  single  drink 
and  some  tobacco,  it  would  be  characteristic  of  a  gentle- 
man. 

Going  round  behind  the  furnace,  I  found  a  large  quantity 
of  freight:  hogsheads,  barrels,  cases,  bales,  boxes,  nail- 
rods,  rolls  of  leather,  ploughs,  cotton,  bale-rope,  and  fire- 
wood, all  thrown  together  in  the  most  confused  manner, 
with  hot  steam-pipes  and  parts  of  the  engine  crossing 
through  it.  As  I  explored  farther  aft,  I  found  negroes 
lying  asleep  in  all  postures  upon  the  freight.  A  single 
group  only,  of  five  or  six,  appeared  to  be  awake,  and  as  I 
drew  near  they  commenced  to  sing  a  Methodist  hymn,  not 
loudly,  as  negroes  generally  do,  but,  as  it  seemed  to  me, 
with  a  good  deal  of  tenderness  and  feeling ;  a  few  white 
people — rnen,  women,  and  children — were  lying  here  and 
there  among  the  negroes.  Altogether,  I  learned  we  had 
two  hundred  of  these  deck  passengers,  black  and  white. 
A  stove,  by  which  they  could  fry  bacon,  was  the  only  fur- 
niture provided  for  them  by  the  boat.  They  carried  with 
them  their  provisions  for  the  voyage,  and  had  their  choice 
of  the  freight  for  beds. 

As  I  came  to  the  bows  again,  and  was  about  to  ascend 
to  the  cabin,  two  men  came  down,  one  of  whom  I  recog- 
nized to  have  been  my  cot  neighbor.  "  Where's  a  bucket  ?" 
said  he.  "  By  thunder,  this  fellow  was  so  strong  I  could 
not  sleep  by  him,  so  I  stumped  him  to  come  down  and 
wash  his  feet."  "I  am  much  obliged  to  you,"  said  I; 
and  I  was,  very  much ;  the  man  had  been  lying  in  the 
cot  beneath  mine,  to  which  I  now  returned,  and  soon  fell 
asleep. 

I  awoke  about  midnight.  There  was  an  unusual  jar  in 
the  boat,  and  an  evident  excitement  among  people  whom  I 
could  hear  talking  on  deck.  I  rolled  out  of  my  cot  and 
stepped  out  on  the  gallery.      The  steamboat  "  Kimball" 


112  WORLD' fi  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Olmsted 

was  running  hcad-and-head  with  us,  and  so  close  that  one 
might  have  jumped  easily  from  our  paddle-box  on  to  her 
guards.  A  few  other  passengers  had  turned  out  besides 
myself,  and  most  of  the  waiters  were  leaning  on  the  rail 
of  the  gallery. 

Occasionally  a  few  words  of  banter  passed  between  them 
and  the  waiters  of  the  "  Kimball ;"  below,  the  firemen  were 
shouting  as  they  crowded  the  furnaces,  and  some  one  could 
be  heard  cheering  them  :  "  Shove  her  up,  boys !  Shove  her 
up  !  Give  her  hell !"  "  She's  got  to  hold  a  conversation  with 
us  before  she  gets  by,  anyhow,"  said  one  of  the  negroes. 
"  Ye  har  that  ar'  whistlin'  ?"  said  a  white  man ;  "  tell  ye 
thar  ain't  any  too  much  water  in  her  bilers  when  ye  har 
that."  I  laughed  silently,  but  was  not  without  a  slight 
expectant  sensation,  which  Burke  would  perhaps  have 
called  subhme.  At  length  the  "Kimball"  drew  slowly 
ahead,  crossed  our  bow,  and  the  contest  was  given  up. 
"  De  ole  lady  too  heavy,"  said  a  waiter ;  "  if  I  could  pitch  a 
few  ton  of  dat  ar  freight  off  her  bow,  I  bet  de  '  Kimball' 
would  be  askin'  her  to  show  de  way  mighty  quick." 

[Our  traveller  missed  the  experience  which  in  former  days  made 
travel  now  and  then  very  lively  upon  the  Mississippi, — a  blow  up  of  one 
or  other  of  the  racing  boats.  A  bell  was  rung  to  rouse  the  cot-sleepers 
at  half-past  four,  and  the  rest  of  the  day  was  taken  up  in  preparations 
for  and  eating  the  three  meals.] 

Every  part  of  the  boat,  except  the  black  hurricane-deck, 
was  crowded ;  and  so  large  a  number  of  equally  uncom- 
fortable and  disagreeable  men  I  think  I  never  saw  elsewhere 
together.  We  made  very  slow  progress,  landing,  it  seems 
to  me,  after  we  entered  Red  Eiver,  at  every  "  bend,"  "  bot- 
tom," "bayou,"  "point,"  and  "plantation"  that  came  in 
sight ;  often  for  no  other  object  than  to  roll  out  a  barrel  of 
flour  or  a  keg  of  nails ;  sometimes  merely  to  furnish  news* 


Olmsted]     FJtOM  NEW  ORLEANS   TO  RED  RIVER.        113 

papers  to  a  wealtliy  planter,  who  had  mucli  cotton  to  send 
to  market,  and  whom  it  was  therefore  desirable  to  please. 

I  was  sitting  one  day  on  the  forward  gallery,  watching  a 
pair  of  ducks,  that  were  alternately  floating  on  the  river 
and  flying  fai-ther  ahead  as  the  steamer  approached  them. 
A  man  standing  near  me  drew  a  long-barrelled  and  very 
finely-finished  pistol  from  his  coat-pocket,  and,  resting  it 
against  a  stanchion,  took  aim  at  them.  They  were,  I 
judged,  fully  the  boat's  own  length — not  less  than  two 
hundred  feet — from  us,  and  were  just  raising  their  wings 
to  fly  when  he  fired.  One  of  them  only  rose  ;  the  other 
flapped  round  and  round,  and  when  within  ten  yards  of  the 
boat  dived.  The  bullet  had  broken  its  wing.  So  remark- 
able a  shot  excited,  of  course,  not  a  little  admiration  and 
conversation.  Half  a  dozen  other  men  standing  near  me 
at  once  drew  pistols  or  revolvers  from  under  their  clothing, 
and  several  were  firing  at  floating  chips  or  objects  on  the 
shore.  I  saw  no  more  remarkable  shooting,  however;  and 
that  the  duck  should  have  been  hit  at  such  a  distance  was 
generally  considered  a  piece  of  luck.  A  man  who  had 
been  in  the  "  Eangers"  said  that  all  his  company  could  put 
a  ball  into  a  tree,  the  size  of  a  man's  body,  at  sixty  paces, 
at  every  shot,  with  Colt's  army  revolver,  not  taking  steady 
aim,  but  firing  at  the  jerk  of  the  arm. 

This  pistol  episode  was  almost  the  only  entertainment 
in  which  the  passengers  engaged  themselves,  except  eating, 
drinking,  smoking,  conversation,  and  card-playing.  Gam- 
bling was  constantly  going  on,  day  and  night.  I  don't 
think  there  was  an  interruption  to  it  of  fifteen  minutes  in 
three  days.  The  conversation  was  almost  exclusively  con- 
fined to  the  topics  of  steamboats,  liquors,  cards,  black-land, 
red-land,  bottom-land,  timber-land,  warrants,  and  locations, 
sugar,  cotton,  corn,  and  negroes. 

After  the  first  night  I  preferred  to  sleep  on  the  trunks 

Vol.  1—8 


114        WORLD' fi  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.       rEATHKRSTONHATTQH 

in  the  social  hall  [the  lobby  which  contained  the  passengers' 
baggage]  rather  than  among  the  cots  in  the  crowded 
cabin,  and  several  others  did  the  same.  There  were,  in 
fact,  not  cots  enough  for  all  the  passengers  excluded  from 
the  state-rooms.  I  found  that  some,  and  I  presume  most, 
of  the  passengers,  by  making  the  clerk  believe  that  they 
would  otherwise  take  the  "  Swamp  Fox,"  had  obtained  their 
passage  at  considerably  less  price  than  I  had  paid. 

[The  above  are  the  principal  events  of  this  description  of  steamboat 
life  before  the  war.  Our  passenger's  journey  ended  at  Natchitoches,  on 
the  Red  River,  whence  he  started  on  a  vagrant  trip  through  Texas,  in 
•which  we  need  not  follow  him.] 


WINTER  ON  THE  PRAIRIES. 

G.   W.   FEATHERSTONHAUQH. 

[Of  the  earlier  records  of  English  travel  in  America  one  of  the  most 
interesting  and  informing  works  is  Featherstonhaugh's  "A  Canoe 
Voyage  up  the  Minnay  Sotor,"  a  journey  made  by  the  author  in  1835, 
and  yielding  much  useful  information  on  what  is  now  the  ancient  his- 
tory of  the  great  West.  The  selection  given  is  devoted  to  some  of  his 
prairie  experiences  during  his  journey  through  the  Sioux  country 
from  Lac  qui  Parle  to  Lake  Travers.] 

Renville  had  procured  me  a  charette,  or  cart,  to  carry 
the  tent,  baggage,  and  provisions.  I  was  to  ride  an  old 
gray  mare,  with  a  foal  running  alongside ;  one  of  the 
Canadians  was  to  drive  the  charette,  and  Miler  and  the  rest 
were  to  walk.  The  morning  was  exceeding  cold,  and  our 
road  was  along  the  prairie  parallel  with  the  lake.  All  the 
country  in  every  direction,  having  been  burnt  over,  was 
perfectly  black,  and  a  disagreeable  sooty  odor  filled  the 


Featherstonhauoh]     winter   ON  THE  PRAIRIES.         115 

atmosphere.  At  the  end  of  five  hours  of  a  very  tedious 
march  vs^e  reached  a  stream  called  Wahboptah,  which  may 
be  translated  Ground-nut  river,  the  savages  being  in  the 
habit  of  digging  up  the  Psoralea  esculenta,  a  nutritive 
bulbous  root  which  grows  here.  The  stream  was  about 
thirty  feet  wide,  and  had  some  trees  growing  on  its  banks. 
Having  built  up  a  good  fire,  the  men  proceeded  to  cook 
their  dinner,  while  I  strolled  up  the  stream  and  collected 
some  very  fine  unios,  although  I  found  it  bitterly  cold 
wading  in  the  shallow  water  to  procure  them. 

Having  fed  our  horses  on  the  grass  near  the  stream 
which  had  not  been  burnt  over,  we  started  again  for  Les 
Grosses  Isles,  which  we  were  instructed  were  distant  about 
seven  leagues,  at  the  foot  of  Big  Stone  Lake.  During  the 
first  two  leagues  the  strong  sooty  smell  of  the  country 
gave  me  a  severe  headache,  and  the  weather  became  so 
cold  that  I  was  very  uncomfortable ;  the  fire,  however,  had 
not  extended  beyond  this  distance,  for  in  about  an  hour 
and  a  half  from  our  departure  we  came  to  the  grass  again, 
and  I  fortunately  got  rid  of  my  headache.  Our  cavalry 
was  exceedingly  pleased  by  the  change,  the  horses  re- 
peatedly winnowing  to  each  other,  as  if  to  express  their 
satisfaction.  I  here  perceived  a  live  gopher,  or  geomys, 
feebly  running  in  the  grass,  and,  dismounting,  caught  it.  It 
apparently  had  strayed  from  its  burrow,  and  had  suffered 
from  the  weather.  After  examining  it  I  let  it  go  again,  as 
it  was  impossible  to  take  care  of  it,  and  I  did  not  like  to 
consign  it  to  the  men,  as  I  knew  they  would  kill  and  eat  it, 
for  they  spared  nothing. 

As  the  evening  advanced  it  became  excessively  cold,  and 
a  sharp  wind,  accompanied  with  frozen  sleet,  set  in  from 
the  noi'theast:  this  soon  became  so  thick  that  I  could 
scarcely  look  up,  much  more  see  anything  in  the  direction 
in  which  I  was  proceeding.     Securing  my  person  and  ears 


116         WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.   [Feathbrstonhaitoh 

as  well  as  I  could  with  my  blanket  coat,  I  left  it  to  the 
mare — who  Eenville  told  me  had  been  more  than  once  to 
Lake  Travers — to  take  her  own  course.  At  length  the 
sleet  became  so  dense  that  I  lost  sight  of  everybody  ex- 
cept the  little  foal,  which,  generally  lagging  behind  in  the 
wake  of  its  dam,  occasionally  trotted  up  to  her  when  in 
her  great  anxiety  she  called  for  it.  I  never  saw  greater 
marks  of  maternal  feeling  in  an  animal  than  in  this  poor 
creature  to  her  young  one. 

As  we  advanced  my  situation  became  exceedingly  pain- 
ful :  the  frozen  sleet  came  in  streams  upon  my  face  and 
eyes  when  I  looked  up ;  my  feet  and  hands  were  so  cold 
that  I  had  scarcely  any  power  over  them ;  my  whole  ex- 
terior, as  well  as  the  head  and  neck  of  the  mare,  was 
covered  with  a  glazing  of  ice ;  night  was  advancing,  and 
we  were  without  a  guide,  upon  a  dreary  and  shelterless 
moor  of  very  great  extent,  and  far  beyond  our  present 
day's  journey,  with  no  prospect  of  an  abatement  of  the 
storm.  In  the  course  of  a  somewhat  adventurous  life  I 
have  occasionally  had  to  meet  with  serious  privations  and 
to  look  danger  rather  steadily  in  the  face,  but  I  had  never 
been  where  there  was  so  slight  a  chance  of  any  favorable 
ohange.  I  had  not  even  the  comfort  before  me  that  every 
bleak  moor  in  England  offers  under  similar  circumstances 
to  the  imagination, — some  kind  of  shelter  to  receive  us  at 
last,  if  we  were  not  overpowered  by  the  inclemency  of  the 
weather.  It  became  absolutely  necessary  to  consider  what 
it  was  best  to  do,  if  overtaken  before  dark  by  a  deep 
enow. 

Mj'  first  thought  was  not  to  separate  myself  from  my 
part}'-,  which  I  had  not  seen  for  some  time,  for  they  had 
the  cart,  the  tent,  and  the  provisions ;  and  if  we  failed  in 
our  attempt  to  reach  the  few  trees  that  grew  near  Grosses 
Isles, — the  only  chance  we  had  of  finding  materials  to  make 


sunrise:      f=-ROM      THE      SUMMIT     OF      RIKE'S 

PEAK 


FEATHKRSTONHAtTGH]      WINTER    ON  THE  PRAIRIES.  117 

fire, — we  could  at  any  rate  burn  the  charette,  eat  something, 
and  cover  ourselves  as  well  as  we  could  with  the  tent. 
This  we  inevitably  should  have  to  do  if  we  missed  the 
station  we  were  aiming  at,  and  of  which  there  was  immi- 
nent danger,  as  it  was  too  thick  for  us  to  discern  any  trees 
at  a  distance.  I  therefore  stopped  the  mare  for  a  while  and 
turned  our  backs  to  the  storm,  which  seemed  to  be  a  great 
relief  to  us  both.  I  had  not  heard  the  voices  of  the  men 
for  some  time,  but  I  knew  the  cart  was  slowly  following 
me,  and  I  thought  it  best  to  wait  awhile  ere  I  advanced 
towards  them,  as  it  was  quite  possible  that  I  might  deviate 
from  the  direction  they  were  advancing  in  and  separate 
myself  from  them  altogether. 

In  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  the  voices  of  the  men 
answered  to  the  shouts  I  had  from  time  to  time  made,  and 
soon  after  they  joined  me,  all  of  them  covered  with  ice  and 
icicles.  The  men  were  afraid  we  had  got  into  the  wrong 
track,  having  passed  one  or  two  that  forked  different  ways, 
and  this  would  have  been  a  most  serious  misfortune.  Upon 
appealing  to  Miler,  who  was  covered  with  ice,  his  answer 
was,  "N'ayez  pas  peur,  monsieur;  n'ayez  pas  peur,"  I 
was  well  aware  that  this  opinion  of  a  sagacious  guide  like 
himself,  trained  to  all  the  difficulties  and  incidents  of 
Indian  life,  was  better  than  that  of  the  others,  and  I  had 
more  confidence  in  his  prudence  and  in  his  conduct  than  I 
had  in  them  ;  but  still  I  was  not  without  fear  that  darkness 
would  overtake  us  ;  and  if  it  had  been  left  to  myself,  should 
have  been  inclined  to  attempt  to  set  up  the  tent  while  it 
was  daylight. 

But  Miler  kept  walking  on  before  the  charette,  acting  up 
to  his  character  of  guide  in  the  most  thorough  manner.  I 
determined,  therefore,  to  be  governed  altogether  by  him, 
and  taking  my  place  in  the  rear  of  the  charette,  thought 
that,  as  I  had  now  joined  my  party,  I  would  alight,  and 


118         WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Feathebstonhaugh 

endeavor,  by  running  a  little,  to  restore  the  circulation  of 
my  limbs ;  but  my  feet  and  hands  were  so  benumbed  that 
I  found  it  even  diflScult  to  dismount,  or  to  stand  when  I 
reached  the  ground.  As  to  the  poor  mare,  she  had  icicles 
depending  from  her  nose  six  or  eight  inches  long,  which  I 
broke  off;  and  holding  the  bridle  under  my  right  arm,  and 
averting  my  face  a  little  from  the  storm,  I  tried  to  run  and 
draw  her  into  a  gentle  trot,  but  it  was  all  in  vain  ;  she  was 
too  anxious  about  her  foal,  which  was  tired  and  becoming 
weak,  and  could  scarce  come  up  to  her  when  she  called  it. 
Full  of  anxiety  as  I  was  about  myself,  I  could  not  but 
admire  the  solicitude  of  this  good  mother  for  her  young, 
so  earnestly  does  the  voice  of  nature  plead  even  with  the 
inferior  animals ;  that  voice  which  God  has  planted  in  our- 
selves, no  less  for  the  safety  of  the  species  we  are  bound 
to  protect  than  to  express  the  intensity  of  the  love  we 
bear  to  our  offspring. 

After  trying  in  vain  to  get  the  mare  out  of  her  snail's 
pace  without  at  all  improving  my  own  situation,  I  per- 
ceived that  I  must  be  making  leeway,  for  I  had  lost  sight 
of  the  charette,  so  I  determined  to  mount  again  and  push 
her  into  a  trot ;  we  had  got  up  a  quasi-trot  in  the  morning, 
and  I  hoped  I  might  succeed  in  doing  it  again,  but  it  took 
me  a  long  time  to  do  it.  I  was  so  benumbed  that  I  could 
not  regain  my  seat  in  the  saddle  until  I  had  made  several 
efforts,  and  then  the  adjusting  my  blanket-coat,  and  the 
covering  my  face  to  protect  it  from  the  cutting  sleet,  lost 
me  so  much  time,  that  I  was  in  a  worse  situation  than 
ever, — separated  from  my  party,  night  approaching,  and 
somewhat  apprehensive  that  in  the  gray  light  that  was  be- 
ginning to  prevail  I  might  wander  from  them  and  be  un- 
able to  rejoin  them.  Being  already  half  frozen,  and  feeling 
rather  faint  at  my  stomach,  it  was  clear  to  me  that  in  that 
case  I  should  certainly  be  frozen  to  death. 


Feathkrstonhaugh]     winter   ON  THE  PRAIRIES.         119 

Getting  on  as  well  as  I  could,  and  ruminating  very  un- 
satisfactorily upon  these  possible  consequences,  the  storm 
began  to  abate,  and  the  wind  veered  to  the  northwest ;  the 
mare  knew  this,  and  gave  immediate  signs  of  it  by  im- 
proving her  pace.  As  we  went  on  the  weather  began  to 
clear  up,  and  as  I  was  straining  my  eyes  to  look  for  the 
charette,  I  heard  the  horse  which  drew  it  neigh  several 
times ;  to  this  the  mare  immediately  answered,  and  soon 
after  came  a  cheer  from  the  men.  Miler  was  soon  seen 
advancing  to  meet  me,  with  the  joyful  intelligence  that 
the  trees  at  Grosses  Isles  were  in  sight.  He  said  the  horse 
in  the  charette  was  the  first  to  see  them  and  to  announce 
the  discovery  by  neighing ;  so  that,  although  horses  have 
not  yet  reached  the  art,  as  some  asses  have  done,  of  making 
long  speeches,  yet  the  epithet  of  dumb  animals  is  not  alto- 
gether appropriate  to  them. 

All  our  anxieties  were  now  at  an  end,  and  we  soon  ter- 
minated this  distressing  ride,  and  reached  a  spot  near  a 
marsh,  where  three  or  four  trees  were  standing.  Fortu- 
nately for  us,  there  was  some  dead  wood  on  the  ground, 
and  some  wild  grass  for  the  horses,  which  we  immediately 
proceeded  to  tether  and  turn  loose,  that  they  might  choose 
their  own  bite,  for  the  night  was  too  cold  for  them  to  stray 
far.  Whilst  the  men  were  collecting  wood  and  pitching 
the  tent,  I  endeavored  to  produce  a  light,  but  my  fingers 
were  so  benumbed  that,  after  breaking  several  matches,  1 
gave  up  the  attempt,  and  began  to  run  backward  and  for- 
ward, and  strike  my  hands  together,  to  restore  my  natural 
warmth.  The  sickness  at  my  stomach  from  exposure  and 
inanition  now  increased  upon  me,  and  I  felt  persuaded 
that  I  should  have  perished  if  I  had  been  obliged  to  lie  out 
on  the  prairie  without  a  fire.  At  length,  the  men  having 
got  a  fire  up,  I  gradually  recovered  from  my  indisposition, 
and  having  eaten  part  of  a  biscuit  felt  much  better.     I 


120         WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Fbatherstonhatjgh 

was  sorry,  however,  to  receive  bad  accounts  from  the  men 
about  the  water,  which  we  so  much  wanted  to  make  soup 
for  themselves  and  for  my  tea.  It  appeared  that  the  only 
water  that  was  to  be  obtained  was  from  a  hole  in  the  swamp, 
and  that  it  was  as  black  as  ink.  On  inspecting  it,  it  was 
80  thick  and  disgusting  that  I  thought  it  impossible  to  use 
it,  but  remembering  the  saying  of  an  old  French  fellow- 
traveller,  "  Que  tout  est  bon,  quand  il  n'y  a  pas  de  choix," 
and  knowing  that  nothing  but  a  cup  of  tea  would  thoroughly 
revive  me,  and  unwilling  to  send  Miler  a  mile  in  the  dark 
to  Big  Stone  Lake  to  obtain  clear  water,  I  determined  to 
make  the  best  I  could  of  it. 

I  had  a  large  pot  therefore  filled,  and  boiled  it,  skim- 
ming it  as  the  black  scum  came  in  immense  quantities  to 
the  top,  and  having  exhausted  it  of  everything  of  that 
kind  that  it  would  yield,  the  very  notable  idea  struck  me 
to  put  a  quantity  of  it  into  my  kettle  with  some  black  tea 
and  boil  it  over  again,  which  I  did,  and  really,  when  I 
poured  it  out  it  looked  so  like  strong  black  tea,  and  was  so 
good  and  refreshing,  that  I  soon  forgot  everything  about 
it  except  that  it  had  restored  me  to  life  and  animation. 
How  many  dead  newts  and  other  animals  that  had  perished 
in  the  desiccation  of  the  swamp  that  had  attended  the  late 
drought  went  to  form  this  tea-broth  would  not  be  easily 
calculated,  but  I  forgave  them  and  the  sires  that  begot 
them. 

Whilst  we  were  at  our  meal,  a  half-perished  Nahcotah 
Indian  came  to  our  tire,  whom  I  saw  at  the  dance  of  the 
braves  the  day  before.  I  remembered  him  the  moment  he 
came  up,  from  his  having  attracted  my  attention  during 
the  dance  by  firing  his  gun  over  the  heads  of  the  dancers, 
and  then  presenting  it  to  one  of  the  braves.  Miler  had  in- 
formed me  that  it  was  not  unusual  upon  such  occasions  for 
savages  who  look  on  to  become  so  excited  as  to  give  every- 


Featherstonhaugh]     winter   ON  THE  PRAIRIES.  121 

thing  away  that  they  have.  This  was  what  this  poor  devil 
had  done;  he  had  parted  with  his  gun  and  all  his  little  prop- 
erty, and  was  now  going  a  journey  of  six  or  eight  days  to 
the  Cheyenne  River  to  kill  buffalo,  without  any  arms,  and 
without  anything  to  eat  by  the  way.  Some  one  had  given 
him  an  old  pistol  without  a  lock  to  it,  and  seating  himself 
by  the  fire  without  saying  a  word,  he  after  a  while  pulled 
it  out,  and  asked  Miler  if  I  would  repair  it,  and  give  him 
some  powder  and  ball  ?  I  told  Miler  to  inform  him  that 
people  could  not  make  locks  for  pistols  when  they  were 
travelling  on  the  prairie  in  such  stormy  weather,  but  that 
I  would  give  him  something  to  eat,  and  directed  the  men 
to  give  him  some  of  the  pork  and  biscuit  out  of  their  pot, 
which  he  seemed  to  enjoy  very  much. 

Feeling  once  more  comfortable  after  a  hearty  supper,  I 
entered  my  tent,  and  remained  there  to  a  late  hour  bring- 
ing up  my  notes,  which  I  had  few  opportunities  of  doing 
at  Lac  qui  Parle.  Before  I  lay  down  I  could  not  help  con- 
trasting the  cheerless  prospect  before  me  at  sunset  and  the 
suffering  I  experienced  with  the  cheerful  state  of  mind  and 
body  I  had  now  returned  to,  and  for  which  I  trust  I  was 
most  sincerely  grateful  to  God,  who  had  preserved  me  in 
continued  health  and  safety.  I  felt  completely  wound  up 
again,  and  ready  to  go  on  for  any  length  of  time,  especially 
with  the  reasonable  prospect  of  a  good  night's  rest  before 
me. 

Such  are  the  agreeable  excitements  attending  this  kind 
of  life,  to  those  who  can  enter  without  prejudice  into  the 
spirit  of  it.  Certainly,  whilst  your  progress  is  successful, 
it  is  delightful.  You  have  plenty  to  eat,  and  you  enjoy 
what  you  eat ;  j'ou  are  amused  and  instructed ;  it  is  true  it 
is  often  cold,  but  then  it  is  not  always  so.  You  encamp 
when  you  please  ;  you  cut  down  as  large  a  tree  as  you 
please,  and  you  make  as  large  a  fire  of  it  as  you  please, 


122        WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Feathkrstonhaugh 

without  fearing  an  action  of  trespass.  You  kill  deer  out  of 
any  park  you  are  passing  through  without  being  questioned, 
and  you  have  the  rare  privilege  of  leaving  your  night's 
lodging  without  calling  for  the  landlord's  bill.  All  law 
and  government  proceed  from  yourself;  and  the  great 
point  upon  which  everything  turns  is  the  successful  man- 
agement of  the  party  you  are  the  head  of  Prudence, 
consistency,  firmness,  and  a  little  generosity  now  and  then 
by  way  of  condiment,  will  carry  such  a  traveller  through 
everything. 

But  there  is  a  reverse  to  the  picture.  Days  and  nights 
exposed  to  cold,  soaking  rains ;  want  of  food  and  water ; 
unavoidable  exaggeration  of  danger;  painful  solicitude  for 
those  dear  to  and  absent  from  you,  and  most  anxious 
moments  when  you  occasionally  feel  that  prudence  is 
scarcely  suflScient  to  insure  your  safety.  Even  the  intense 
and  curious  impatience  to  push  on  in  the  face  of  apparent 
danger  makes  you  at  times  feel  a  remorse  on  account  of 
those  you  are  leading  into  it.  Such  are  the  contrasts  of 
feeling  by  which  the  wanderer  in  these  distant  regions, 
still  unvisited  by  a  ray  of  civilization,  is  frequently  agi- 
tated. 

[Reaching  Lake  Travers,  one  of  the  sources  of  the  Red  River  of 
the  North,  he  found  quarters  with  Mr.  Brown,  the  resident  factor  of 
the  American  Fur  Company.] 

After  breakfast  Mr.  Brown  showed  me  some  very  rare 
furs  he  possessed, — several  very  fine  grizzly  bear-skins  (  Ur- 
susferox),  one  of  which  was  a  bright  yellow,  a  rare  variety. 
He  had  also  an  exceedingly  large  and  rich  otter-skin, 
which,  with  many  other  things,  I  purchased  of  him.  But 
my  most  valuable  acquisition  here  was  made  from  an  As- 
siniboin  chief,  who  came  in  about  an  hour  before  I  departed. 
This  was  a  fine  bow,  made  of  bone  and  wood,  with  a  cord 


Featherstonhauqh]     winter   ON  THE  PRAIRIES.  123 

of  very  strong  sinew.  The  chief  had  performed  a  feat  with 
it  for  which  Wanetah,  a  Nahcotah  chief,  had  been  cele- 
brated. He  had  killed  two  buffaloes  that  were  galloping 
on  a  parallel  with  his  own  horse  at  onB  draft  of  his  arrow, 
it  having  passed  through  the  first  and  inflicted  a  mortal 
wound  upon  the  second. 

The  chief  was  very  unwilling  to  part  with  it.  We  tried 
him  several  times  in  vain,  and  at  length  I  offered  him  five 
gold-pieces,  or  twenty-five  dollars.  '■^  Mdhzdzhee !  Heeyah!" 
"  Yellow  iron !  No !"  he  replied.  At  last  Mr.  Brown  pro- 
duced some  brilliant  scarlet  cloth.  The  sight  of  it  over- 
came his  reluctance ;  it  would  make  such  beautiful  leggings, 
and  his  squaws  would  be  so  delighted  with  it !  So  I  gave 
him  three  yards  of  the  cloth,  and  he  delivered  me  the  bow, 
a  quiver  of  arrows,  and  a  skin  case,  which  contained  it. 
Mr.  Brown,  of  course,  got  his  share  of  the  amount,  though 
he  acted  very  fairly  with  me.  Money  is  unknown  to  these 
savages,  and  they  place  no  value  upon  it.  He  would  not 
have  taken  twenty  of  these  gold-pieces  for  his  bow,  but 
thought  he  had  made  a  good  bargain  with  it  for  the  cloth, 
although  I  have  no  doubt  Mr.  Brown  would  have  sold  it  to 
any  one  for  ten  dollars.  It  was  an  affair  of  barter,  where 
both  parties  were  satisfied,  which,  under  similar  circum- 
stances, is  perhaps  the  best  definition  of  value. 


124  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.         [Campion 


A  HUNTER'S  CHRISTMAS  DINNER. 

J.  S.  CAMPION. 

[Campion's  "  On  the  Frontier  :  Reminiscences  of  Wild  Sports,  Per- 
sonal Adventure,  and  Strange  Scenes,"  a  work  full  of  vitality,  is  the 
source  of  our  present  selection.  Some  of  the  author's  adventures  with 
hostile  Indians  are  very  interesting,  but  the  following  account  of  how 
the  author  won  his  Christmas  dinner  is  likely  to  prove  more  attractive 
reading.] 

On  the  evening  of  December  23  word  was  brought  into 
camp  by  one  of  the  hands,  who  had  been  looking  up  the 
mules,  that  he  had  come  across  the  tracks  of  some  twenty- 
five  turkeys,  within  five  or  six  miles  of  camp.  This  was 
indeed  great  news.  Hope  dawned  upon  us.  We  should 
have  the  fat  turkey  for  Christmas,  at  all  events. 

At  daylight  the  next  day  we  started  for  the  spot  where 
the  turkey-tracks  had  been  seen ;  the  snow  was  melted  off 
the  low  ground,  but  still  lay  thick  on  the  cedar  and  piiion 
ridges,  and  in  patches  on  the  bottoms. 

On  arriving  at  the  place  we  took  the  trail,  and  soon  ran 
it  to  a  ridge-top,  covered  with  piiion-trees,  on  the  nuts  of 
which  the  turkeys  had  been  feeding.  Here  the  tracks 
spread  in  all  directions,  since  the  turkeys  had  wandered 
about,  each  on  his  own  hook,  searching  for  nuts,  and,  to 
double  the  chances  of  finding  them,  we  also  separated,  one 
going  up,  the  other  down,  the  ridge, — going,  too,  very  care- 
fully, for  wild  turkeys  are  the  most  wary  of  all  birds,  and 
require  to  be  hunted  with,  if  possible,  more  caution  than 
do  deer.  And  we  knew  not  the  moment  when  we  might 
come  upon  our  game,  as  it  was  highly  probable  they  were 
close  at  hand ;  for  turkeys,  if  unmolested,  daily  frequent 


Campion]     A   HUNTER'S  CHRISTMAS  DINNER.  125 

the  same  range  of  feeding-ground,  until  it  is  exhausted  of 
food.  By  and  by  I  came  to  where  eight  of  the  straggling 
birds  had  come  together  and  started  oif  again  in  company. 
The  drove  had  evidently  separated  into  two  or  more  lots, 
and  I  followed  the  eight  turkeys  for  many  miles  and  for 
many  hours  without  seeing  fresh  sign,  until  at  length  I 
came  to  the  edge  of  a  precipitous  cliff  overlooking  a  wide 
part  of  the  valley,  the  river  flowing  just  below  me,  and  a 
large  grove  of  big  cottonwood-trees  in  a  bottom  not  far 
away. 

Evidently  I  was  at  the  place  from  which  the  turkeys  had 
flown  off  the  night  before  to  go  to  roost.  I  quickly  de- 
scended, and,  going  under  the  cottonwood-trees,  searched 
in  the  tangle  and  jungle  for  sign  of  their  having  roosted 
above,  and  soon  satisfied  myself  that  they  had  done  so. 
The  next  step  necessary  was  to  discover  where  the  turkeys 
had  alighted  in  the  morning;  but  this  might  entail  a  long 
search,  and,  as  it  was  already  past  noon,  I  sat  down  to 
rest,  eat  the  luncheon  I  had  provided  myself  with,  and 
come  to  some  conclusion  as  to  which  direction  I  had  best 
choose  to  make  my  first  cast  in. 

I  had  not  proceeded  far  on  my  way  again,  when  I  came 
suddenly  upon  a  "sign"  that  arrested  my  attention  and 
raised  hope  in  my  breast, — the  tracks  of  a  big  fat  buck ! 
He  had  crossed  the  river-bottom  diagonally,  and  his  trail 
plainly  told  me  all  about  him :  the  great  width  of  and  the 
distance  between  his  tracks  proclaimed  his  sex  and  size,  and 
their  depth  in  the  ground  his  weight.  He  had  been  going 
at  an  easy  trot ;  the  glaze  on  them  was  bright,  their  edges 
unbroken  ;  not  a  speck  of  drifted  dust  was  on  them ;  they 
were  as  fresh  as  new  paint.     They  were  not  an  hour  old. 

In  imagination  I  smelt  roasted  venison,  and  instantly 
started  in  pursuit.  I  followed  on  the  tracks  until  within 
an  hour  of  sunset,  but  never  got  even  a  glimpse  of  the 


126  WORLD'f^  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Campion 

deer ;  and  by  that  time  his  trail  had  brought  me  to  the 
bank  of  a  stream  flowing  down  one  of  the  side  valleys. 
The  buck  browsing  here  and  there,  but  never  stopping  long 
in  one  place,  had  led  me  a  wide  circuit  through  and  over 
valley  and  ridges.  He  had  not  seen  or  smelled  me,  how- 
ever, since  none  of  his  movements  showed  that  he  had  been 
alarmed. 

The  stream,  at  the  place  where  the  deer's  track  led  to 
it,  was  unusually  wide,  consequently  slack  in  current,  and 
therefore  frozen  over.  The  snow  still  lay  on  the  ice,  and 
the  buck's  track,  where  he  had  crossed,  looked  but  just 
made.  The  ice  seemed  firm,  and  I  started  to  cross  the 
creek.  About  ten  feet  from  shore,  bang  through  I  went, 
waist  deep,  into  the  cold  water,  and  broke  and  scrambled 
my  way  back  with  great  difficulty,  and  with  noise  enough 
to  frighten  into  a  gallop  any  wild  animal  that  might  be 
within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  me. 

It  was  very  disagreeable,  very  annoying,  and  very  cold ; 
and  my  clothes  beginning  to  freeze  on  me,  I  started  for 
camp  at  a  brisk  walk. 

Just  as  the  sun  was  going  down  I  passed  near  to  where 
the  turkeys  had  flown  off"  to  roost.  It  struck  me  that  by 
watching  there  a  short  time  I  might  see  them  return  to 
the  same  or  a  neighboring  roost,  knowing  they  often  do 
so.  This,  however,  was  very  cold  work,  my  clothes  being 
in  a  half-dried,  half-frozen  condition  ;  and  I  was  just  going 
to  give  it  up,  when  I  heard  the  faint  distant  report  of  a 
rifle.  The  sound  redoubled  my  attention,  since  I  supposed 
that  game  was  stirring. 

In  a  few  minutes  I  heard  the  quick  sharp  alarm  call  of  the 
turkey,  the  unmistakable  pit-pit,  and  saw  four  of  them  sail 
ofl"  from  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  at  about  sixty  yards'  distance 
from  me,  into  the  top  branches  of  the  trees  forming  one  of 
the  groups  in  the  valley  below.     Drawing  gently  back,  and 


Campion]     A  HUNTER'S  CHRISTMAS  DINNER.  127 

keeping  as  much  as  possible  under  cover,  I  made  my  way 
down  into  the  valley,  and  started  in  the  direction  of  the 
grove  of  trees  in  which  the  turkeys  had  settled. 

It  was  getting  dark,  and  I  had  gone  but  a  short  way, 
when,  at  a  distance  of  about  two  hundred  yards  in  front,  a 
most  extraordinary-looking  object  presented  itself  to  my 
view.  It  looked  like  a  haycock  on  legs  with  the  handle  of 
a  pitchfork  sticking  out  of  it ;  it  was  steadily  advancing 
through  the  gloom  to  where  I  stood,  and  arrived  quite 
close  to  me  before  I  could  quite  make  out  what  it  was.  It 
proved  to  be  my  companion,  with  two  turkeys  tied  together 
by  the  legs  and  slung  over  his  shoulder  across  his  rifle. 
The  wind  coming  up  the  valley  and  blowing  the  feathers 
out  in  all  directions  had  given  the  turkeys  in  the  gloaming 
the  extraordinary  appearance  that  had  astonished  me  so 
much.  I  gave  a  low  whistle,  and  he  joined  me ;  I  pointed 
to  the  turkeys  in  the  trees.  He  dropped  those  he  already 
had,  hung  them  up  out  of  wolf  reach,  and  together  we 
cautiously  crept  under  the  four  roosting  turkeys. 

The  light  was  very  bad  for  rifle-shooting,  but  our  front 
sights  were  of  ivory,  and  our  birds  were  skyed ;  so  draw- 
ing the  best  beads  we  could,  we  fired  simultaneously,  and 
with  great  success,  two  fine  birds  dropping  dead  at  our  feet, 
— the  others  making  off. 

We  congratulated  each  other,  and  stai'ted  for  camp  with 
four  fat  turkeys, — and  fat  indeed  they  were,  for  they  had 
been  feeding  all  autumn  on  walnuts,  hickory-nuts,  grapes, 
sweet  acorns,  and  pinons,  at — or  rather  I  suspect  without 
— discretion. 

We  had  a  long  trudge  home,  the  turkeys  getting  ap- 
parently heavier  every  mile.  As  we  tramped  along  my 
companion  related  his  day's  experience.  About  noon  he 
had  come  upon  the  fresh  tracks  of  some  turnkeys  feeding 
along  one  of  the  ridges,  and  had  followed  the  birds  until 


128  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Campion 

within  about  three  hours  of  sunset,  when,  on  peeping 
into  an  open  glade,  he  saw  fourteen  of  them  scattered 
over  it,  picking  up  seeds  and  strutting  about.  As  the 
turkeys  seemed  to  be  approaching  him,  he  lay  quite  still, 
watehinir  them  throuo^h  the  thicket  which  concealed  him. 
Ultimately  they  got  quite  close,  giving  many  fair  oppor- 
tunities to  shoot  one.  But  he  was  determined  not  to  fire 
unless  necessary,  preferring  to  wait  for  an  occasion  to 
present  itself  enabling  him  to  kill  two  at  one  shot, — a  very 
rare  chance  to  obtain.  He  said  it  was  most  interesting 
to  lie  there  at  his  ease  and  watch  the  motions  and  move- 
ments of  the  birds  as  they  fed  about  and  spread  themselves 
in  fancied  security.  At  last  his  opportunity  came,  and 
firing  without  a  moment's  delay,  he  floored  his  birds, 
taking  the  head  of  the  nearest  clean  off,  and  shooting  the 
farther  one  through  the  body  at  the  butt  of  his  wings. 
This  was  the  shot  I  had  heard.  I  then  told  him  what  I 
had  seen,  and  what  had  befallen  me,  and  we  got  home 
quite  done  up,  but  rejoicing  at  our  good  luck. 

Supper  was  waiting,  and  this  meal,  a  blazing  fire,  and 
the  pipe  of  peace,  recruited  us  after  our  fatigues. 

We  had  been  very  careful  and  sparing  in  the  use  of  our 
spirits,  not  knowing  how  long  it  might  be  before  we  should 
be  able  to  get  a  fresh  supply,  or  what  necessity  might  arise 
for  their  use ;  but  this  was  considered  an  occasion  when 
the  flowing  bowl  ought  to  be  indulged  in,  so  grogs  all 
round  were  mixed  and  our  success  celebrated.  When  this 
interesting  ceremony  had  been  concluded,  my  companion 
remarked  to  me,  "  Our  luck  has  evidently  turned,  and,  as 
gamblers  always  do,  we  ought  to  press  our  good  fortune 
while  it  lasts.  We  have  got  our  Christmas  turkeys  ;  no 
doubt  the  buck  you  followed  is  destined  to  grace  our 
Christmas  dinner.  I  am  the  man  to  kill  it.  Daylight 
shall  see  me  on  his  track.     You  will  behold  my  face  no 


Campion]     A   HUNTER'S  CHRISTMAS  DINNER.  129 

more  until  I  return  with  the  haunches  of  the  big  buck." 
Then  he  turned  in  and  I  quickly  followed  his  example.  At 
the  time  I  had  not  the  remotest  idea  that  my  comrade 
really  intended  to  put  his  threat  into  execution  ;  I  thought 
he  was  "gassing,"  and  put  it  down  to  the  credit  of  the 
flowing  bowl. 

Next  morning  I  awoke  at  my  usual  time, — daybreak, — 
got  out  of  my  blankets,  arose,  stirred  the  fire  into  a  great 
blaze  and  turned  my  back  to  it  to  get  a  good  warm.  I 
looked  for  my  companion, — his  blankets  were  empty ;  I 
glanced  towards  the  arms, — his  rifle  and  belt  were  gone  ;  I 
felt  his  blankets, — they  were  cold.  He  had  consequently 
been  gone  for  some  time. 

I  made  a  cast  round,  and  struck  his  fresh  tracks  going 
in  the  direction  of  our  last  day's  tramp.  He  had  "  gone 
for"  the  big  buck.  For  my  part,  I  was  too  tired  to  stir 
that  day.  Though  then  as  hard  as  nails,  and  in  first-rate 
condition  and  training,  I  was  thoroughly  done  up  and  quite 
stiff — "  played  out" — with  the  previous  day's  wetting  and 
walking,  so  remained  in  camp,  and  spent  the  time  in  help- 
ing to  make  the  plum-pudding,  dress  and  stuff  the  turkeys, 
and  in  resting, — principally  in  resting. 

ISTight  came,  but  not  my  comrade.  I  was  not  exactly 
uneasy  about  him,  for  he  was  a  first-rate  hunter  and  moun- 
taineer ;  but  many  are  the  unexpected  accidents  that  may 
happen  to  a  lone  wanderer  in  the  wilderness. 

I  piled  the  wood  on  the  fire  and  sat  waiting  for  him  until 
near  midnight.  Then  I  began  to  think  I  was  foolish  to  do 
so,  and  had  better  go  to  sleep.  Just  as  I  was  turning  in 
the  dogs  ran  out,  frisking  and  capering,  into  the  darkness. 
I  heard  the  whistle  of  my  comrade,  and  he  strode  into  the 
light  of  the  camp-fire.  On  his  back,  in  a  sling  extempo- 
rized out  of  the  skin  of  the  deer,  were  the  hind-quarters  of 

a  big  buck.     It  was  not  yet  twelve,  and  though  a  close 

Vol.  I — 'J  I 


130  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Campiok 

Bhave  on  being  Christmas-day,  our  bill  of  fare  was  filled. 
Some  more  flowing  bowl. 

At  breakfast  the  following  day  my  companion  narrated 
to  us  the  story  of  his  late  hunt,  as  nearly  as  may  be,  in  the 
following  words ; 

He  said,  "By  daylight  I  was  where  you  came  to  grief 
by  breaking  through  the  ice,  with  this  difference,  that  I 
was  upon  the  other  side  of  the  creek,  having  crossed  it 
higher  up  by  means  of  a  beaver  dam.  Being  a  cold  trail,  I 
pushed  ahead  sharply,  keeping  a  good  lookout,  and  in  a 
little  over  two  hours  came  to  where  the  buck  had  lain 
down  to  pass  the  dark  of  the  night.  There  being  no 
morning  moon,  I  knew  he  had  not  stirred  before  sunrise, 
and  might,  therefore,  be  browsing,  or  standing  under  some 
tree  quite  near ;  so  continued  my  way  most  cautiously, 
never  following  the  tracks  when  they  crossed  an  open,  un- 
less obliged  to  do  so  on  account  of  the  ground  being  frozen 
hard,  so  that  it  often  took  me  a  long  time  to  get  his  trail 
again  after  leaving  it;  but  I  knew,  if  the  buck  once  saw  or 
got  a  snitf  of  me,  he  might  run  ten  miles  without  stopping. 

"About  eleven  o'clock  I  sighted  him.  I  was  peeping 
cautiously  out  of  a  thicket,  at  whose  edge  I  had  just  ar- 
rived, into  a  large  park-like  glade,  and  saw  him  under  a 
big  white-oak-tree,  eating  the  acorns.  There  was  no  cover 
between  me  and  where  the  buck  stood,  so  I  could  not  risk 
trpng  to  get  nearer  to  him  except  by  making  a  long  de- 
tour, and  the  nearest  edge  of  the  timber  I  was  in  was  too 
far  off  him  to  risk  a  shot  from.  There  was,  therefore, 
nothing  for  it  but  to  sit  down  and  wait  until  he  pleased  to 
move  on  or  lie  down,  and  so  give  me  a  chance  to  get 
nearer.  Being  hungry,  I  utilized  the  time  by  eating  my 
luncheon,  and  then  fell  to  smoking.  Well,  he  kept  me 
there  over  an  hour,  and  then  started  off  in  a  straight  line 
in  a  trot.    As  he  took  a  bee-line  for  the  river,  I  knew  what 


Campion]     A   HUNTER'S  CHRISTMAS  DINNER.  131 

he  was  after :  he  was  going  to  take  his  '  little  drink.'  I, 
too,  should  have  liked  to  indulge  in  a  httle  drink,  to  wash 
down  my  luncheon. 

"  As  soon  as  the  buck  was  well  oinder  way  I  started  at 
the  double,  on  a  parallel  course,  hoping  to  get  a  shot  at 
him  in  the  river's  bottom.  I  crossed  the  open  ground  of  a 
valley  in  a  bend  that  was  above  and  out  of  sight  of  the 
course  he  was  taking,  got  into  the  cover  along  the  river's 
bank,  and  followed  it  down,  but  saw  nothing  of  him.  By 
and  by  I  came  to  where  the  buck  had  drunk.  He  had 
there  crossed  the  river  and  gone  straight  on  at  a  long  easy 
trot  towards  the  Sierra  Verde. 

"Should  he  intend  going  up  the  mountain  my  chance 
of  seeing  him  again  that  day  was  over;  if  he  was  going 
to  feed  in  the  piilon  ridges,  then  careful  stalking  and  the 
avoidance  of  all  mistakes  would  make  him  my  meat.  I 
could  not  afford  to  lose  time  by  going  to  a  beaver  dam  to 
cross,  so  at  once  peeled  and  waded  over. 

"  After  going  about  two  miles,  the  buck's  tracks  showed 
he  had  subsided  into  a  walk,  and  then  almost  immediately 
turned,  to  my  great  satisfaction,  into  the  pinon-ridge 
country,  in  which,  after  about  an  hour's  careful  stalking,  1 
sighted  him  again.  He  was  strolling  along,  feeding;  but 
it  was  getting  pretty  well  on  towards  sunset  before  I  was 
able  to  approach  close  enough  to  him  to  care  to  fire  a  shot, 
for  I  had  taken  so  much  trouble  that  I  was  determined  to 
incur  no  risk  I  could  avoid,  but  have  patience  until  I  had  a 
certainty  of  killing  him  in  his  tracks.  At  last  he  stopped 
to  browse  in  a  little  open,  oval  table-land,  on  the  summit 
of  a  cedar  ridge. 

"The  ridge-top  was  nowhere  over  a  hundred  yards 
across,  and  was  sui-rounded  with  a  thick  fringe  of  dwarf 
cedars.  Peeping  through  one  of  these  dwarf  cedars,  I 
could  see  the  deer's  broad  fat  quarters  about  forty  yards 


132  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Campion 

in  front  of  me.  The  buck  was  slowly  walking  from  where 
I  stood  concealed.  I  put  my  cap  in  a  fork  of  the  cedar, 
laid  my  rifle-barrel  on  it,  brought  its  stock  to  ray  shoulder, 
and  bleated  like  a  doe. 

"  The  big  buck  stopped,  turned  his  body  half  round,  his 
head  wholly  so,  and  looked  straight  towards  me  with  his 
head  down. 

"  I  drew  a  careful  bead  between  his  eyes,  and  dropped 
him — stone-dead ! 

"I  ran  up  to  bleed  him,  feeling  quite  relieved  and  glad 
at  so  successful  a  termination  of  ten  hours'  difficult  hunt- 
ing. I  had  not  noticed  it  while  engrossed  by  the  interest 
of  pursuit,  but  now  found  I  was  very  hungry,  and  so  lit  a 
fire  at  once,  that  there  might  be  roasting-coals  ready  by 
the  time  I  had  skinned  my  deer. 

"  I  was  soon  enjoying  a  jolly  rib-roast,  making  a  tremen- 
dous meal,  and  recruiting  myself  for  the  tramp  of  from 
twelve  to  fifteen  miles  lying  between  me  and  the  camp." 

So,  after  all,  we  had  our  Christmas  dinner  according  to 
programme,  and  a  capital  one  it  was,  too. 

The  turkeys  were  d  merveille,  the  venison  delicious ;  for 
the  big  buck — he  was  nearly  as  big  as  a  Mexican  burro- 
deer — was  very  fat  indeed.  It  is  only  the  man  who  has 
eaten  really  fat  wild  venison  who  knows  what  good  ven- 
ison really  is.  The  kidneys  were  completely  covered  with 
tallow,  and  my  companion  assured  us  that  the  buck  cut 
nearly  an  inch  of  fat  on  the  brisket.  The  quarters  had 
been  hung  out  to  freeze  all  night,  and  were  thawed  in 
melted  snow-water  before  being  cooked,  and  so  were  quite 
tender. 

The  plum-pudding  was  over  a  foot  in  diameter;  we  could 
hardly  pull  it  out  of  the  pot.  It  was  as  good  as  possible, 
and  followed  by  a  bowl  of  punch,  our  punch-bowl  being  for 
the  nonce  a  tin  bucket ;  not  to  mince  matters,  it  was  our 


Bacon]  A    COLORADO    "ROUND-UP."  133 

horses'  watering-bucket,  which,  though  not  elegant,  was 
capacious,  and  the  only  utensil  we  had  capable  of  holding 
the  amount  of  purjch  the  occasion  called  for. 

No  holly  grew  in  the  country,  but  the  bright  red  berries 
of  the  Indian  arrow-wood  and  of  the  bearberry-bush  made 
beautiful  substitutes,  and  there  were  more  evergreens  in 
sight  than  entire  Christendom  could  have  made  use  of,  so 
our  camp  was  profusely  and  gayly  decorated.  Altogether 
the  day  was  well  and  duly  celebrated,  and  it  is  marked 
with  a  white  stone  in  the  calendar  of  my  memory. 


A  COLORADO  "ROUND-UP." 

ALFRED    TERRY   BACON, 

[Among  picturesque  scenes  of  American  life  there  are  few  to  sur- 
pass those  to  be  seen  on  the  cattle  ranges  of  the  West,  the  home  of  the 
cow-boy,  and  of  a  mode  of  life  widely  removed  from  the  quiet  con- 
ditions of  ordinary  civilization.  We  append  a  description  of  daily 
scenes  during  a  cattle  "  drive."] 

By  a  fortunate  circumstance  I  first  saw  that  pastoral 
pageant  known  in  the  West  as  a  "  round-up"  among  the 
most  picturesque  surroundings  that  could  have  been  chosen 
for  it  even  in  Colorado.  In  the  northern  counties  the 
abrupt  line  of  the  Eocky  Mountain  foot-hills  has  nearly 
a  north-and-south  direction.  From  their  base  the  grass- 
country  rolls  away  in  great  brown  undulations  with  a  gen- 
eral downward  slope  towards  the  east  for  twenty  miles, 
to  the  depression  in  the  Plains  through  which  the  South 
Platte  flows  northward.  Beyond  the  river  the  land  rises 
again  with  an  easy  slope  for  several  miles.  It  is  from  the 
side  of  this  rise  of  ground  that  the  superb  panoramic  view 


134  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bacon 

of  the  Eocky  Mountain  range  is  seen  in  perfection.  More 
than  two  hundred  miles  it  stretches  in  sight,  from  the 
masses  vaguely  seen  beyond  the  snowy  shoulders  of  Pike's 
Peak  to  the  lower  mountains  across  the  border  of  Wyo- 
ming. 

At  a  considerable  height  on  this  slope  runs  a  canal  for 
irrigation,  led  out  from  the  swiftly-descending  Platte  some 
miles  above.  One  brilliant  evening  in  July,  a  procession 
of  wagons,  each  with  its  arched  covering  of  canvas  tinted 
by  the  sunset  light,  moved  up  the  ascent  to  the  bank  of  the 
ditch.  The  wagons  were  drawn  up  in  line,  about  a  hun- 
dred feet  apart,  and  in  five  minutes  each  driver  had  un- 
harnessed and  "hobbled"  his  horses  and  a  bright  row  of 
camp-fires  were  dancing  in  the  twilight.  Tl;ie  wagons 
were  late  in  making  a  camp.  Usually  they  precede  the 
herd  by  several  hours;  but  now  close  following  is  heard 
the  lowing  of  the  cattle,  a  slowly  swelling  volume  of  sound, 
as  the  drove  approaches.  At  a  spot  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  camp,  where  a  level  interrupts  the  general  slope,  the 
herd  is  massed  together,  or,  in  technical  phrase,  "  bunched," 
and  with  the  approach  of  darkness  gradually  all  lie  down 
for  the  night.  One  by  one  the  herders  drop  away  to  camp 
as  the  cattle  grow  quiet,  till  but  two  are  left  riding  in 
opposite  directions  about  the  sleeping  herd,  each  singing 
vigorously,  for  the  double  purpose  of  warding  off  sleep 
and  keeping  the  herd  aware  of  their  guard.  The  songs 
are  continued  by  the  successive  watches  till  dawn,  each 
singer  pursuing  his  tune  with  a  glorious  independence  of 
harmony  with  his  mate;  yet  in  the  distance,  as  we  sit 
beside  the  camp-fire  or  in  waking  moments  at  night,  it  is  a 
cheerful,  vigilant  sound.  In  the  cow-boy's  dialect,  "sing- 
ing to  'em"  has  become  a  synonymous  expression  for  night- 
herding. 

Before  the  day's  work  is  finished,  there  is  a  cry  heard 


Bacon]  A   COLORADO   ''ROUND-UP."  135 

not  far  away,  "  Ropes !  ropes !"  Two  men  start  up  from 
the  resting  groups  and  form  a  sort  of  temporary  corral 
by  stretching  ropes  from  a  wagon,  and  into  it  is  driven 
the  great  herd  of  saddle-horses,  to  be  "  hobbled"  for  the 
night.  Then  the  supper  is  served, — hastily  cooked  and 
hastily  eaten.  There  is  little  comfort  about  it.  A  kind  of 
lengthened  tail-board  is  let  down  at  the  end  of  each  wagon 
and  supported  by  props.  All  the  men  of  an  "  outfit" — that 
is,  those  banded  to  work  together  and  share  the  use  of  one 
wagon — ^gather  about  this  rude  table  and  devour  the  meal, 
as  they  stand,  with  the  lion's  appetite  which  only  a  wholly 
out-door  life  can  give. 

Each  "  outfit"  carries  its  tent,  for  use  in  bad  weather ; 
but  with  a  dewless  night  and  a  dry  soil  no  one  cares  to 
stake  a  tent  after  fourteen  hours  of  hard  riding.  As  soon 
as  darkness  has  fairly  settled  over  the  earth,  we  are  all 
rolled  in  our  blankets  side  by  side  on  the  ground  as  peace- 
ful as  a  row  of  mummies.  Over  us  the  heaven  seems  to 
glitter  with  a  million  stars  not  seen  in  lower  countries,  and 
sleep  soon  comes  to  the  eyes  turned  upward  towards  its  in- 
finite calm.  At  intervals  through  the  night  the  second, 
third,  and  "  cocktail"  reliefs  will  be  called  to  go  on  duty : 
all  hands  must  take  their  turns  at  night-herding. 

With  the  first  intimation  of  daylight  the  camp-fires  are 
again  dancing  in  line.  By  each  a  cook  begins  his  breakfast 
preparations.  Long  before  the  appearance  of  the  sun  all 
the  camp  is  astir ;  bedding  is  rolled  and  packed  away  ready 
for  transportation.  In  the  universal  freshness  of  dawn  the 
view  westward  from  the  hill  is  glorious.  Through  the 
meadows  just  below  us  winds  the  Platte,  shaded  by  noble 
groves  of  cottonwood,  the  home  of  ten  thousand  meadow- 
larks,  and  already  in  the  starry  twilight  they  have  begun 
a  choral  symphony  of  innumerable  voices.  .  .  . 

But  the  light  of  the  sun  has  hardly  crept  down  the  hill 


136  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bacon 

to  touch  the  tree-tops,  still  ringing  with  the  morning  song, 
before  the  hurried  standing  breakfast  at  the  camp  is  over 
and  each  man  has  been  appointed  to  his  work  by  the 
captain  of  the  "  round-up."  Three  or  four  are  named  to 
guard  the  herd  already  gathered ;  some  will  have  special 
care  of  the  horses ;  all  others,  except  the  men  in  charge  of 
wagons,  are  appointed  to  go  "  out  on  circle."  Then  follows 
a  general  saddling  of  horses,  and,  while  the  shadows  still 
lie  long  across  the  plain,  knots  of  horsemen,  three  or  four 
abreast,  strike  out  across  the  prairie  on  lines  radiating  in 
all  directions  from  the  camp.  They  will  ride  out  on  their 
courses  for  about  five  miles,  except  where  the  space  is 
limited  on  the  west  by  the  river,  and  then,  turning  back, 
will  drive  in  towards  the  centre,  or,  as  they  say,  will  "  circle 
in,"  or  "  round  up,"  all  the  cattle  found  in  that  district,  a 
space  with  a  diameter  of  ten  miles.  It  is  this  operation 
carried  on  day  after  day  over  many  thousand  square  miles 
of  country  which  gives  the  name  "  round-up"  to  the  annual 
gathering  of  the  cattle  on  the  Plains.  ... 

The  long,  hot  morning  wastes  away,  unvaried  by  any 
event  but  the  changing  phases  of  the  mirage  and  the 
gathering  of  cloud-puffs  over  the  mountains.  But  when 
the  sun  has  climbed  within  an  hour  or  two  of  the  merid- 
ian, some  one  less  drowsy  than  the  rest  shouts,  "They're 
coming!"  Across  the  prairie  where  he  points  there  is  no 
living  thing  in  sight,  but  beyond  the  most  distant  ridge 
a  great  dust-column  seems  to  touch  the  sky  and  stand 
motionless.  Then  on  the  opposite  horizon  we  catch  sight 
of  another  cloud  of  dust,  then  another,  and  another 
appears,  till  the  circle  of  approaching  herds  is  complete. 
Presently  the  leaders  of  a  procession  mount  the  ridge. 
The  long  line  of  cattle  comes  steadily  on.  Half  are  lost  to 
sight  in  the  hollows  of  the  prairie,  half  are  seen  on  the 
crests  of  the  swelling  ground.      Up  and  down   the  line 


A      KAIMSA6      CN'CLOIME 


From  the  omuv  Successful  Photograph  ever 

TAKEM 


Bacon]  A   COLORADO   ''ROUND-UP."  137 

gallop  the  horsemen,  urging  and  guiding  the  cattle.  When 
the  first  sound  from  the  herd  reaches  the  ear,  it  is  like  a 
long  trumpet-blast.  Among  the  multitudes  that  are  ap- 
proaching there  is  not  one  but  utters  some  sound  of  protest 
at  this  sudden  infringement  of  the  liberties  of  his  wild  life. 
The  bellowing  of  the  bulls,  the  lowing  of  the  cows,  the 
bleating  of  the  calves,  all  are  blended  into  a  musical 
murmur  in  which  no  single  voice  can  be  distinguished. 

With  the  advance  of  the  cattle  the  deep  note  grows 
louder  by  almost  imperceptible  degrees,  but  at  last,  when 
the  lines  begin  to  be  driven  together  at  the  centre,  it  has 
increased  to  a  deafening  uproar.  Conversation  is  im- 
possible ;  orders  are  shouted  as  in  a  storm  at  sea.  When 
the  converging  processions  have  come  so  near  that  the 
animals  can  be  distinguished,  it  is  interesting  to  look 
closely  at  the  passing  lines,  in  which  every  breed  and  size 
and  color  of  cattle  is  represented,  from  the  small  tawny 
Texas  cow,  as  wild  as  a  deer,  to  the  large  high-bred  Dur- 
ham bull  that  paces  heavily  along  nodding  his  head  at  every 
step  with  an  aristocratic  air  of  self-satisfaction.  The  leaders 
of  a  herd  are  always  the  strong,  fat  steers,  walking  with  a 
quick  step,  carrying  their  heads  erect,  and  glancing  about 
with  restless  eyes, — powerful,  swift  animals,  ready  when 
anything  startles  them  to  break  into  a  stampede  that  will 
try  the  mettle  of  the  best  horses  in  the  effort  to  stop  them. 

To  one  who  has  only  known  cattle  in  the  Eastern  States 
from  watching  working-oxen  crawling  along  a  road  a  mile 
and  a  half  in  an  hour,  or  mild  old  dairy- cows  loafing  home 
from  pasture  at  night,  these  spirited  wild  cattle  seem  a 
different  race  of  animals.  A  new-comer  to  the  plains  can 
hardly  believe  that  cattle  are  capable  of  great  speed ;  but 
let  him  help  jn  driving  a  herd  for  a  few  days,  and  his 
opinion  is  changed.  A  small  calf  lagging  in  the  rear  of  a 
herd  is  sometimes  seized  with  an  insane  notion  that  his 


138  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bacok 

mother  has  been  left  behind  if  he  loses  sight  of  her  for  a 
moment.  He  starts  backward  on  the  trail,  "  like  a  streak 
of  greased  lightning,"  his  pursuer  would  say.  An  accom- 
plished cow-boy  is  often  baffled  for  some  time  in  such  a 
chase.  His  horse,  of  course,  will  outstrip  a  calf  in  a  long 
run  ;  but  just  when  he  has  headed  him  off,  the  exasperating 
little  brute  will  dodge  like  a  hare,  and,  while  the  horse  is 
carried  on  by  his  impetus,  the  calf  is  off  again  as  fast  as 
ever  in  search  of  his  forsaken  parent.  I  have  known  a 
"  tender-foot"  to  disappear  over  the  bluffs  on  such  a  chase  in 
the  middle  of  the  afternoon  and  return  at  night  crestfallen, 
to  acknowledge  himself  vanquished  by  a  most  insignificant 
little  calf. 

After  the  leaders  of  the  herd  generally  follow  the  young 
stock, — the  yearlings  and  two-year-olds, — with  the  fat  dry 
cows  scattered  along  the  line ;  then  the  multitude  of  cows 
followed  by  calves ;  and  last  the  lagging  new-born  calves, 
attended  and  coaxed  along  by  fussy  old  mothers. 

After  the  men  have  rushed  into  camp  to  swallow  the 
noonday  meal  and  have  hurried  back  to  the  herd,  the  hard- 
est and  most  interesting  part  of  the  day's  work  begins, — 
that  is,  the  "  cutting  out,"  or  sorting,  the  cattle  of  those 
brands  which  it  is  desired  to  separate  from  the  promiscuous 
multitude.  In  the  "  general  round-up"  of  the  early  summer 
the  branding  of  the  young  stock  is  the  chief  business ; 
but  in  this  gathering  the  object  is  to  separate  certain  cattle 
to  be  driven  away  to  new  grazing-grounds  in  the  northern 
Territories.  As  we  are  riding  out  with  the  herders  return- 
ing to  their  work,  suddenly  the  body  from  head  to  foot  is 
suffused  with  a  sense  of  relief  and  refreshment,  as  when 
water  touches  a  parched  throat ;  for,  after  eight  hours  of 
scorching  heat,  a  cloud  has  drifted  across  the  sun  as  he 
begins  his  descent.  It  is  only  in  such  an  arid,  shadeless 
region  that   the  scriptural   metaphor  of  a  "shadow  in  a 


Bacon]  A   COLORADO   ''ROUND-UP."  139 

weary  land"  can  have  the  full  force  which  it  had  to  its 
Asiatic  author. 

But  now,  as  we  came  to  the  herd  and  turned  to  circle 
about  it,  the  westward  view  was  wonderfully  changed. 
The  background  of  mountains  which  in  the  morning  had 
been  so  shadeless  was  now  almost  wholly  in  shadow.  The 
cloud-puifs  of  an  hour  ago  had  spread  and  united  into  black 
canopies  of  storm-cloud.  The  range  had  assumed  its  dark- 
est and  most  sublime  aspect.  As  the  eye  runs  up  and  down 
the  long  sweep  of  vision,  here  and  there  a  white  peak, 
flooded  with  sunshine  from  an  unseen  space  between  the 
storms,  shines  with  an  unearthly  brightness  amid  the  gen- 
eral blackness.  Here  and  there  the  snowy  head  of  a 
mountain  looks  out  cold  and  wan  through  a  transparent 
veil  of  showers.  Every  moment  at  some  point  along  the 
rank  of  mountains  a  thunderbolt  leaps  across  from  cloud 
to  peak  with  a  quick  shiver.  A  portentous  darkness  settles 
over  the  Great  Divide.  The  pine-clad  slopes  are  as  black 
as  night ;  the  snowy  summits  leaden. 

In  contrast  with  the  dark  majesty  of  the  background  is 
the  intense  animation  of  the  scene  close  at  hand.  Back 
and  forth  and  round  and  round  patrol  the  horsemen  ap- 
pointed to  hold  the  cattle  within  certain  boundaries.  Men 
representing  the  owners  of  brands  ride  into  the  crowd  of 
cattle,  and,  moving  slowly  about,  observe  the  brand  on 
every  animal  they  pass.  Usually  a  rider  represents  several 
owners.  Catching  sight  of  the  brands  for  which  they  are 
looking,  each  man  follows  close  at  the  heels  of  the  cow  he 
has  selected,  and,  when  she  is  near  the  edge  of  the  herd, 
with  a  quick  jump  of  his  horse  he  tries  to  drive  her  beyond 
the  boundaries.  But  commonly  she  detects  his  purpose, 
her  gregarious  instinct  rebels,  and  with  a  quicker  jump 
she  is  back  again  among  her  friends  in  the  midst  of  the 
herd. 


140  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bacon 

Then  follows  a  hard  chase  around  among  the  frightened 
cattle.  Fifteen  or  twenty  riders  are  soon  in  hot  pursuit  of 
their  several  brands.  The  whole  herd  is  in  commotion, 
with  a  general  wheeling  movement  like  a  slow  Maelstrom. 
The  cattle  are  "ginning  around,"  they  say.  The  din  of  a 
thousand  bellowing  voices  grows  more  thunderous  as  the 
herd  grows  more  uneasy.  To  watch  this  tossing  sea  of 
animal  life  is  exciting  in  the  highest  degree.  The  horses, 
trained  by  long  experience  in  the  work,  dash  into  it  with 
the  fire  of  a  war-horse  going  to  battle.  They  take  evident 
pleasure  in  their  superiority  over  the  inferior  intelligence 
of  the  cattle.  The  showy,  barbaric  costumes  of  the  cow- 
boys, the  exquisite  feats  of  horsemanship,  the  excitement 
of  the  horses  warming  to  their  work,  the  occasional  dex- 
terous use  of  the  lasso  in  subduing  some  animal  at  bay,  all 
the  rush  and  tumult,  the  roar  and  shouting,  the  grace  of 
muscular  men  and  animals  in  swift  motion,  make  up  a 
spectacle  so  stirring  and  picturesque  that  all  other  exhibi- 
tions of  equestrian  skill  seem  tame  in  comparison. 

As  the  cattle  one  by  one  are  "  cut  out,"  they  are  taken 
in  charge  by  the  outside  riders  and  driven  away  to  swell 
the  herd  of  those  already  gathered,  which  is  grazing  less 
than  a  mile  away.  After  two  hours  of  work,  while  the 
commotion  seems  still  as  violent  as  ever,  the  captain  sud- 
denly shouts  the  order,  "  Turn  'em  loose  !"  The  cry  passes 
along,  the  guards  draw  to  one  side,  the  liberated  cattle 
move  quickly  away,  first  in  a  body,  then  in  a  long  scatter- 
ing line,  and  the  stillness  of  the  desert  succeeds  the  uproar. 
In  the  mean  time,  the  camp  has  been  broken  up  and  the 
train  of  wagons  has  moved  up  the  river  eight  or  ten  miles 
to  fix  a  centre  for  the  next  day's  work.  There  is  httle 
difference  between  one  day  and  another.  The  same  opera- 
tion of  "  circling  in"  and  "  cutting  out"  will  be  repeated 
till  every  acre  of  ground  in  the  allotted  district  has  been 


Bradfobd]  among   the  COW-BOYS.  141 

traversed.  In  the  "general  round-ups"  of  the  spring  each 
district  contains  several  thousand  square  miles,  and  the 
work  continues  for  six  weeks  or  more.  In  this  way  a  belt 
of  country  equal  in  length  to  the  distance  from  Portland 
to  Savannah  is  swept  over  by  the  "  round-ups"  every  year. 
Before  this  nomadic  life  of  the  Plains  has  been  drained 
of  its  picturesque  elements  by  the  advance  of  civilization, 
I  hope  that  some  painter  may  arise  who  can  grasp  and 
worthily  fix  on  canvas  this  most  picturesque  scene  of 
American  life, — one  with  the  skill  of  a  Church  to  paint  the 
mountains  and  the  genius  of  a  Bonheur  to  catch  the  beauty 
of  free  animal  existence.  It  should  be  a  great  picture,  for 
in  its  distance  would  stand  the  continent's  mountainous 
head  crowned  with  its  shining  diadem,  while  in  the  nearer 
view  there  would  be  every  attitude  of  bold  horsemanship, 
every  phase  of  intense  muscular  activity,  brilliancy  of  cos- 
tumes, the  charm  of  wild  life,  the  beauty  of  freedom. 


AMONG  THE  COW-BOYS. 

LOUIS    C.  BRADFORD. 

[The  preceding  selection  may  be  fitly  followed  by  the  following 
description  of  life  among  the  cow-boys,  those  wild  and  wilful  cattle- 
guards  of  the  West,  whose  escapades  form  an  interesting  part  of  the 
romance  of  modern  times.] 

There  is  a  peculiar  fascination  in  the  wild  life  of  the 
cow-boys  which  tempts  many  young  men  of  culture  and 
refinement,  reared  in  the  enjojmient  of  everj^  luxury  in  the 
East,  but  of  adventui'ous  dispositions,  to  come  and  live 
with  these  rude  spirits  on  the  frontier.  Often  for  thirty- 
six  hours  continuously  in  the  saddle,  the  hardships  of  their 


142  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.        [Bradford 

lot  are  apparent.  Cold  black  coffee,  without  sugar,  drunk 
whenever  the  opportunity  offers,  is  the  sole  luxury  of  the 
cow-boy.  With  a  piece  of  bread  in  one  hand  and  some 
jerked  beef  in  the  other,  he  will  ride  around  a  stampeded 
herd,  eating  as  he  goes,  and  as  happy  as  a  king  on  his 
throne.  When  night  comes,  provided  his  cattle  are  quiet, 
he  will  tie  his  horse  to  his  leg,  and,  "covered  with  his  hat," 
with  a  hummock  of  grass  for  his  pillow,  will  sleep  peace- 
fully on  the  broad  prairie,  and  dream  perchance  of  his 
sweetheart  far  back  in  "  God's  country." 

Perhaps  his  dreams  will  be  rudely  disturbed  by  the 
thunder  of  a  thousand  hoofs,  as  his  cattle,  becoming  fright- 
ened at  some  noise,  have  stampeded,  and  the  grass  fairly 
pops  beneath  their  cloven  feet.  Then  it  is  he  does  his 
tallest  riding,  and,  circling  around  his  cows,  brings  them 
back  to  where  they  started.  If  a  wild  bull  becomes  ob- 
streperous and  unruly,  a  rider  dashes  past  him,  and,  seizing 
his  tail  as  he  goes  by,  gives  it  a  twist  around  the  horn  of 
his  saddle,  and  in  a  trice  the  bull  is  fairly  slung  heels  over 
head  on  his  back.  Two  or  three  applications  of  this  dis- 
cipline will  generally  reduce  the  stiffening  in  a  bull's  tail 
to  a  minimum  and  render  him  as  docile  as  a  calf.  An  ex- 
pert cow-boy  can  rope,  throw  down,  and  tie  up  a  cow  in 
just  one  minute  from  the  time  he  rides  up  to  her. 

But  a  man  knows  nothing  of  "  punching  the  heifers" 
who  has  not  been  through  on  the  "trail"  to  Kansas.  Going 
for  days  together  without  eating,  never  out  of  the  saddle, 
mountinc;  a  fresh  horse  as  fast  as  one  is  broken  down,  the 
limit  of  endurance  is  reached,  and  one  who  has  stood  the 
test,  and  can  boast  of  having  "  busted  the  Indian  Nation 
square  open,"  attains  respect  in  the  cow-boy's  eyes,  and  is 
considered  to  have  taken  his  degree. 

In  1874  the  largest  drive  to  Kansas  ever  recorded  took 
place,  when  half  a  million  beeves  were  driven  through. 


Bradford]  AMONG   THE  COW-BOYS.  143 

The  trail  was  beaten  into  a  broad  path  a  mile  wide  and 
extending  fifteen  hundred  miles  in  length.  For  miles  and 
miles  the  string  of  lowing  herds  stretched  along,  while  the 
keen  riders  darted  hither  and  thitber,  keeping  them  well 
on  the  trail.  At  night  the  voices  of  the  men  singing  to 
their  sleeping  cattle  could  be  heard  all  along  the  line,  while 
the  long  string  of  camp-fires,  throwing  their  lurid  glare 
against  the  black  vault  overhead,  called  back  to  the  minds 
of  many  old  gray-bearded  cow-boys  the  stormy  times  when 
similar  lines  of  light  glimmered  along  the  Rappahannock, 
and  pierced  the  murky  gloom  of  some  Virginia  night. 
Sometimes  the  music  of  a  violin,  sounding  strangely  shrill 
in  the  calm  night  air,  would  mingle  with  the  deep  tones  of 
voices  singing  "  The  Maid  of  Monterey,"  or  "  Shamus 
O'Brien,"  the  cow-boy's  favorite  tunes. 

In  passing  through  the  Indian  Nation  it  is  no  uncommon 
thing  for  a  band  of  Indians,  all  painted  and  varnished  up, 
to  ride  down  on  a  beef-herd,  and,  singling  out  the  finest 
cattle  in  the  bunch,  compel  the  white  owners  of  the  stock 
to  cut  them  out  in  a  separate  flock,  when  the  Indians  will 
gather  around  them  and  run  them  off".  Some  years  ago  a 
party  of  five  Indians  came  riding  down  on  a  herd  which 
was  resting  on  the  banks  of  a  small  creek,  and  demanded 
of  the  boss  herdsman  ten  of  the  fattest  steers  he  had.  The 
boss  was  a  bold  man,  and,  looking  around  on  his  fifteen 
stalwart  cow-boys,  swore  that  no  five  Indians  should  take 
his  beeves  from  him,  and,  using  the  polite  phraseology  of 
the  Plains,  told  his  redskin  visitors  to  "go  to  hell."  The 
baffled  five  retired  into  the  forest,  but  soon  returned  with 
an  increased  force  of  fifty  men,  who  charged  down  on  the 
defiant  herdsman,  whom  they  nearly  beat  to  death  with 
his  own  ramrod,  stampeded  his  cattle,  and  ran  off  two 
hundred  of  them  into  the  woods. 

It  is  a  wild,  rough  set  of  men  that  camp  around  the 


144  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.        [Bradford 

herds  after  they  have  been  driven  through  the  Nation  and 
are  resting  on  the  grassy  plains  of  Kansas.  Clad  in  the 
soiled  and  dusty  jeans  of  the  trail,  for  weeks  in  succession 
no  water  has  touched  their  hands  or  faces,  and,  unshaven 
and  unshorn,  they  give  free  rein  to  their  exuberant  spirits, 
taking  some  quiet  Kansas  village  by  storm,  setting  the  tame 
local  laws  at  defiance,  and  compelling  the  authorities  to 
acknowledge  the  sovereignty  of  their  native  State. 

The  wages  earned  by  these  cow-boys  are  twenty-five 
dollars  a  month  while  they  are  herding  on  Texan  ranges; 
but,  as  the  toil  and  hardship  encountered  on  the  trail  are 
so  great,  they  are  paid  thirty-five  dollars  a  month  during 
the  drive,  and  each  man  furnished  with  eight  ponies  to 
ride.  Some  of  them  return  home  by  rail,  visiting  the  cities 
of  St.  Louis  and  New  Orleans,  and  managing  to  be  de- 
spoiled of  all  their  hard-earned  monej'  during  their  brief 
sojourn  in  "  God's  country ;"  but  the  greater  number 
straddle  their  wiry  little  ponies  and  ride  back  through  the 
Nation  to  Texas. 

Not  every  one  that  started  out  to  go  up  the  trail  lives  to 
get  back,  and  the  nameless  mounds  that  dot  the  sides  of 
that  broad  path  bear  mute  but  powerful  testimony  to  the 
danger  that  every  hour  surrounds  the  cow-boy.  Whether 
they  fall  by  a  shot  from  some  hostile  savage  lurking  in 
a  ravine  near  by,  or  are  dropped  by  a  six-shooter  in  the 
hands  cff  a  fellow-herder,  they  are  hastily  buried  and  soon 
forgotten.  Entirely  free  from  the  restraining  power  of 
the  law,  men  give  free  rein  to  their  passions,  and  the  six- 
shooter  or  Winchester  rifle — the  inseparable  companions 
of  the  stock-drivers — is  freely  resorted  to  to  settle  disputed 
questions.  It  is  very  common  for  two  bosses  having  charge 
of  different  herds  to  jump  down  from  their  horses  and  pro- 
ceed to  crack  away  at  each  other  until  one  has  bitten  the 
dust. 


Bradford]  AMONG   THE   COW-BOFS.  145 

"When  a  violent  storm,  accompanied  by  thunder  and 
lightning,  stampedes  the  cattle,  they  will  probably  get 
mixed  up  with  two  or  three  other  herds,  and  much  labor 
and  confusion  results,  and  a  considerable  amount  of  tall 
swearing  and  fighting  takes  place  before  they  can  be  sep- 
arated and  each  herd  gotten  to  itself.  Every  animal,  be- 
sides the  regular  brand  of  the  owner,  has  his  tail  bobbed 
and  a  "  road-mark"  put  upon  him  during  the  drive,  and  in 
a  mixed  herd  the  rider  goes  in  and  "cuts  out"  all  the 
cattle  that  bear  his  brand  and  runs  them  into  a  separate 
flock. 

When  cattle  are  sleeping  it  requires  very  little  to  stam- 
pede them.  A  loud  breath,  the  clank  of  a  chain  tied  to 
the  leg  of  a  wagon-mule,  or  the  galloping  of  a  horse  will 
sometimes  cause  them  to  be  up  and  gone  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye.  They  will  run  over  whatever  is  in  their  path, 
and  the  only  way  to  stop  them  is  to  get  them  to  "milling," 
or  travelling  in  a  circle,  when  they  will  wind  themselves 
up  like  a  ball  and  stop.  It  is  instinctive  with  them  to  run 
when  anything  else  is  running,  and  away  they  go  at  the 
slightest  noise,  with  the  cow-boys  in  wild  pursuit  after 
them. 

Living  on  Stinking  Creek,  in  the  Indian  Territory,  just 
off  the  great  trail,  is  an  Irishman  named  Fitzpatrick,  who 
came  to  this  country  not  many  years  ago,  a  common  speci- 
men of  the  bog-trotting  Tipperary  Paddy.  Floating  on 
the  tide  of  emigration  westward,  he  finally  went  into  the 
Indian  Nation,  and,  building  a  cabin  in  the  timber  where 
the  trail  crossed  Stinking  Creek,  he  proceeded  to  gather 
up  the  cattle  that  dropped  from  the  great  herds  going 
through  or  were  lost  in  some  big  stampede.  His  business 
throve,  and  in  time  he  married  a  Choctaw  wife  and  went 
to  housekeeping,  and  to  day  he  is  the  owner  of  many  thou- 
sand beeves,  and  is  regarded  as  a  rising  stock-man.    He 

Vol.  I — lo 


146  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.        [Bbadford 

etill  collects  the  stampeded  cattle  in  the  creek  timber, — a 
striking  example  of  the  strange  ways  in  which  men  become 
rich.  More  than  one  big  stock-man  in  Texas  began  his 
career  by  branding  the  mavericks,  or  wild  unbranded  and 
unclaimed  heifers,  found  in  the  river  timber.  As  an  in- 
stance of  the  manner  in  which  they  worked  up  a  herd,  it 
is  related  of  a  successful  stock-man  that  he  started  with  a 
solitary  steer,  which  he  turned  loose  on  the  prairie,  and 
the  first  year  he  branded  forty  calves !  .  .  . 

It  was  with  a  feeling  of  sincere  regret  that  the  writer 
of  these  lines,  meeting  with  a  severe  accident,  prepared  to 
return  to  where  his  home  nestled  in  the  Alleghanies,  after 
a  sojourn  of  eighteen  months  with  these  wild  riders  of  the 
plains.  Lest  the  impression  be  conveyed  that  these  are 
irreligious  and  godless  men,  let  the  reader  fancy  a  group 
of  men,  belted  and  spurred,  seated  in  a  rude  arbor,  listening 
reverently  to  a  tall  cow-boy  who  has  been  selected  by 
unanimous  choice  to  read  the  Scriptures,  and  he  can  form 
an  idea  of  the  last  Sunday  I  spent  with  the  cow-boys. 
With  slow  and  deliberate  utterance,  Phil  Claiborne  read 
out  the  words  of  the  golden  rule,  "  As  ye  would  that  men 
should  do  to  you,  do  ye  also  to  them  likewise."  Then  he 
proceeded :  "  These,  my  hearers,  were  the  words  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  spoke  as  no  man  ever  spoke ;  and 
I  pledge  you  my  word,  gentlemen,  the  Bible  is  a  good  Qgg'^ 
Profound  attention  greeted  the  speaker,  and  continuing,  he 
said,  "Whatsoever  is  earthly  can  be  soon  replaced,  but  that 
which  is  on  yon  side  of  the  grave  is  eternal.  If  you  lose 
your  property,  you  may  acquire  more ;  if  you  lose  your 
wife,  you  may  marry  again  ;  if  you  lose  your  children,  you 
may  have  more  ;  but  if  you  lose  your  immortal  soul,  then 
up  the  spout  you  go." 


lavwc-J  HUNTING  THE  BUFFALO.  147 


HUNTING  THE  BUFFALO. 

WASHINGTON  IRVING. 

[Washington  Irving's  experiences  were  not  confined  to  the  banks 
of  the  Hudson,  the  ruins  of  the  Alhambra,  and  the  rural  scenes  of 
English  life,  but  were  extended  to  embrace  the  far  western  region  of 
his  own  country,  a  region  at  that  time  still  the  domain  of  savage 
nature.  In  1832,  the  year  embraced  in  his  ' '  Tour  on  the  Prairies, ' '  the 
buffalo,  or  bison,  now  nearly  extinct,  roamed  in  vast  herds  over  the 
treeless  plains,  and  wild  horses  were  little  less  abundant  in  the  same 
broad  region.  The  work  in  question  is  principally  devoted  to  incidents 
of  a  hunter's  life  in  pursuit  of  these  two  animals.  The  scene  lies  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  upper  waters  of  the  Ked  Kiver.] 

After  proceeding  about  two  hours  in  a  southerly 
direction,  we  emerged  towards  mid-day  from  the  dreary 
belt  of  the  Cross  Timber,  and  to  our  infinite  delight  beheld 
*'  the  great  prairie,"  stretching  to  the  right  and  left  before 
us.  We  could  distinctly  trace  the  meandering  course  of 
the  main  Canadian  and  various  smaller  streams  by  the 
strips  of  green  forest  that  bordered  them.  The  landscape 
was  vast  and  beautiful.  There  is  always  an  expansion  of 
feeling  in  looking  upon  these  boundless  and  fertile  wastes  ; 
but  I  was  doubly  conscious  of  it  after  emerging  from  our 
"  close  dungeon  of  innumerous  boughs." 

From  a  rising  ground  Beatte  [an  Indian  member  of  the 
party]  pointed  out  the  place  where  he  and  his  comrades 
had  killed  the  buffaloes;  and  we  beheld  several  black 
objects  moving  in  the  distance  which  he  said  were  part  of 
the  herd.  The  captain  determined  to  shape  his  course  to 
a  woody  bottom  about  a  mile  distant  and  to  encamp  there 
for  a  day  or  two,  by  way  of  having  a  regular  buffalo-hunt 
and  getting  a  supply  of  provisions. 


148  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [iRvms 

As  the  troop  defiled  along  the  slope  of  the  hill  towards 
the  camping-ground,  Beatte  proposed  to  my  messmates  and 
myself  that  we  should  put  ourselves  under  his  guidance, 
promising  to  take  us  where  we  should  have  plenty  of  sport. 
Leaving  the  line  of  march,  therefore,  we  diverged  towards 
the  prairie,  traversing  a  small  valley  and  ascending  a 
gentle  swell  of  land.  As  we  reached  the  summit  we 
beheld  a  gang  of  wild  horses  about  a  mile  off.  Beatte  was 
immediately  on  the  alert,  and  no  longer  thought  of  buffalo- 
hunting.  He  was  mounted  on  his  powerful  half-wild 
horse,  with  a  lariat  coiled  at  the  saddle  bow,  and  set  off  in 
pursuit,  while  we  remained  on  a  rising  ground  watching 
his  manoeuvres  with  great  solicitude. 

Taking  advantage  of  a  strip  of  woodland,  he  stole 
quietly  along,  so  as  to  get  close  to  them  before  he  was 
perceived.  The  moment  they  caught  sight  of  him  a  grand 
scamper  took  place.  We  watched  him  skirting  along  the 
horizon  like  a  privateer  in  full  chase  of  a  merchantman  ; 
at  length  he  passed  over  the  brow  of  a  ridge  and  down 
into  a  shallow  valley ;  in  a  few  moments  he  was  on  the 
opposite  hill,  and  close  upon  one  of  the  horses.  He  was 
soon  head  and  head,  and  appeared  to  be  trying  to  noose  his 
prey ;  but  they  both  disappeared  again  below  the  hill,  and 
we  saw  no  more  of  them.  It  turned  out  afterwards  that 
he  had  noosed  a  powerful  horse,  but  could  not  hold  him, 
and  had  lost  his  lariat  in  the  attempt. 

While  we  were  waiting  for  his  return,  we  perceived  two 
buffalo  bulls  descending  a  slope  towards  a  stream  which 
wound  through  a  ravine  fringed  with  trees.  The  young 
count  and  myself  endeavored  to  get  near  them  under  covert 
of  the  trees.  They  discovered  us  while  we  were  yet  three 
or  four  hundred  yards  off,  and,  turning  about,  retreated  up 
the  rising  ground.  We  urged  our  horses  across  the  ravine 
and   gave    chase.      The    immense    weight   of   head    and 


Irving]  HUNTING   THE  BUFFALO.  149 

shoulders  causes  the  buffalo  to  labor  heavily  up-hill ;  but 
it  accelerates  his  descent.  We  had  the  advantage,  there- 
fore, and  gained  rapidly  upon  the  fugitives,  though  it  vjslb 
difficult  to  get  our  horses  to  approach  them ;  their  very 
scent  inspired  them  with  tei'ror.  The  count,  who  had  a 
double  barrelled  gun  loaded  with  ball,  fired,  but  missed. 
The  bulls  now  altered  their  course,  and  galloped  down-hill 
with  headlong  rapidity.  As  they  ran  in  different  direc- 
tions, we  each  singled  out  one  and  separated. 

I  was  provided  with  a  brace  of  veteran  brass-barrelled 
pistols  which  I  had  borrowed  at  Fort  Gibson,  and  which 
had  evidently  seen  some  service.  Pistols  are  very  effective 
in  buffalo-hunting,  as  the  hunter  can  ride  up  close  to  the 
animal,  and  fire  at  it  while  at  full  speed ;  whereas  the  long 
heavy  rifles  used  on  the  frontier  cannot  be  easily  managed 
nor  discharged  with  accurate  aim  from  horseback.  My 
object,  therefore,  was  to  get  within  pistol-shot  of  the  buffalo. 
This  was  no  very  easy  matter.  I  was  well  mounted  on  a 
horse  of  excellent  speed  and  bottom  that  seemed  eager  for 
the  chase,  and  soon  overtook  the  game ;  but  the  moment 
he  came  nearly  parallel,  he  would  keep  sheering  off  with 
ears  forked  and  pricked  forward,  and  every  symptom  of 
aversion  and  alarm.  It  was  no  wonder.  Of  all  animals,  a 
buffalo,  when  close  pressed  by  the  hunter,  has  an  aspect  the 
most  diabolical.  His  two  short  black  horns  curve  out  of  a 
huge  frontlet  of  shaggy  hair;  his  eyes  glow  like  coals;  his 
mouth  is  open,  his  tongue  parched  and  drawn  up  into  a 
half  crescent ;  his  tail  is  erect,  and  tufted  and  whisked 
about  in  the  air ;  he  is  a  perfect  picture  of  mingled  rage  and 
terror. 

It  was  with  difficulty  I  urged  my  horse  sufficiently  near, 
when,  taking  aim,  to  my  chagrin,  both  pistols  missed  fire. 
Unfortunately,  the  locks  of  these  veteran  weapons  were  so 
much  worn  that  in  the  gallop  the  priming  had  been  shaken 


150  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Irving 

out  of  the  pans.  At  the  snapping  of  the  last  pistol  I  was 
close  upon  the  buffalo,  when,  in  his  despair,  he  turned 
round  with  a  sudden  snort  and  rushed  upon  me.  My 
horse  wheeled  about  as  if  on  a  pivot,  made  a  convulsive 
spring,  and,  as  I  had  been  leaning  on  one  side  with  pistol 
extended,  I  came  near  being  thrown  at  the  feet  of  the 
buffalo. 

Three  or  four  bounds  of  the  horse  carried  us  out  of  the 
reach  of  the  enemy ;  who,  having  merely  turned  in  des- 
perate self-defence,  quickly  resumed  his  flight.  As  soon  as 
I  could  gather  in  my  panic-stricken  horse  and  prime  the 
pistols  afresh,  I  again  spurred  in  pursuit  of  the  buffalo, 
who  had  slackened  his  speed  to  take  breath.  On  my 
approach  he  again  set  off  full  tilt,  heaving  himself  forward 
with  a  heavy  rolling  gallop,  dashing  with  headlong  precipi- 
tation through  brakes  and  ravines,  while  several  deer  and 
wolves,  startled  from  their  coverts  by  his  thundering 
career,  ran  helter-skelter  to  right  and  left  across  the  waste. 

A  gallop  across  the  prairies  in  pursuit  of  game  is  by  no 
means  so  smooth  a  career  as  those  may  imagine  who  have 
only  the  idea  of  an  open  level  plain.  It  is  true,  the  prairies 
of  the  hunting-ground  are  not  so  much  entangled  with 
flowering  plants  and  long  herbage  as  the  lower  prairies, 
and  are  principally  covered  with  short  buflfalo-grass ;  but 
they  are  diversified  by  hill  and  dale,  and  where  most  level 
are  apt  to  be  cut  up  by  deep  rifts  and  ravines,  made  by 
torrents  after  rains ;  and  which,  after  yawning  from  an 
even  surface,  are  almost  like  pitfalls  in  the  way  of  the 
hunter,  checking  him  suddenly  when  in  full  career,  or 
subjecting  him  to  the  risk  of  limb  and  life.  The  plains, 
too,  are  beset  by  burrowing  holes  of  small  animals,  in 
which  the  horse  is  apt  to  sink  to  the  fetlock,  and  throw 
both  himself  and  his  rider.  The  late  rain  had  covered 
some  parts  of  the  prairie,  where  the  ground  was  hard,  with 


Irving]  HUNTING   THE  BUFFALO.  151 

a  thin  sheet  of  water,  through  which  the  horse  had  to 
splash  his  way.  In  other  parts  there  were  innumerable 
shallow  hollows,  eight  or  ten  feet  in  diameter,  made  by  the 
buflFaloes,  who  wallow  in  sand  and  mud  like  swine.  These 
being  filled  with  water,  shone  like  mirrors,  so  that  the 
horse  was  continually  leaping  over  them  or  springing  on 
one  side.  We  had  reached,  too,  a  rough  part  of  the  prairie, 
very  much  broken  and  cut  up;  the  buflfalo,  who  was 
running  for  life,  took  no  heed  to  his  course,  plunging  down 
break-neck  ravines,  where  it  was  necessary  to  skirt  the 
borders  in  search  of  a  safer  descent.  At  length  we  came 
to  where  a  winter  stream  had  torn  a  deep  chasm. across  the 
whole  prairie,  leaving  open  jagged  rocks,  and  forming  a 
long  glen  bordered  by  steep  crumbling  cliffs  of  mingled 
stone  and  clay.  Down  one  of  these  the  buffalo  flung  him- 
self, half  tumbling,  half  leaping,  and  then  scuttled  along 
the  bottom ;  while  I,  seeing  all  further  pursuit  useless, 
pulled  up,  and  gazed  quietly  after  him  from  the  border  of 
the  cliff,  until  he  disappeared  amidst  the  windings  of  the 
ravine. 

Nothing  now  remained  but  to  turn  my  steed  and  rejoin 
my  companions.  Here  at  first  was  some  little  difficulty. 
The  ardor  of  the  chase  had  betrayed  me  into  a  long, 
heedless  gallop.  I  now  found  myself  in  the  midst  of  a 
lonely  waste,  in  which  the  prospect  was  bounded  by  undu- 
lating swells  of  land,  naked  and  uniform,  where,  from  the 
deficiency  of  landmarks  and  distinct  features,  an  inex- 
perienced man  may  become  bewildered,  and  lose  his  way 
as  readily  as  in  the  wastes  of  the  ocean.  The  day,  too, 
was  overcast,  so  that  I  could  not  guide  myself  by  the  sun ; 
my  only  mode  was  to  retrace  the  track  my  horse  had  made 
in  coming,  though  this  I  would  often  lose  sight  of,  where 
the  ground  was  covered  with  parched  herbage. 

To  one  unaccustomed  to  it,  there  is  something  inex- 


152  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Ibving 

pressibly  lonely  in  the  solitude  of  a  prairie.  The  loneliness 
of  a  forest  seems  nothing  to  it.  There  the  view  is  shut  in 
by  trees,  and  the  imagination  is  left  free  to  picture  some 
livelier  scene  beyond.  But  here  we  have  an  immense 
extent  of  landscape  without  a  sign  of  human  existence. 
We  have  the  consciousness  of  being  far,  far  beyond  the 
bounds  of  human  habitation ;  we  feel  as  if  moving  in  the 
midst  of  a  desert  world.  As  my  horse  lagged  slowly  back 
over  the  scenes  of  our  late  scamper,  and  the  delirium  of 
the  chase  had  passed  away,  I  was  peculiarly  sensible  to 
these  circumstances.  The  silence  of  the  waste  was  now 
and  then  broken  by  the  cry  of  a  distant  flock  of  pelicans, 
stalking  like  spectres  about  a  shallow  pool ;  sometimes  by 
the  sinister  croaking  of  a  raven  in  the  air,  while  occasion- 
ally a  scoundrel  wolf  would  scour  oflf  from  before  me,  and, 
having  attained  a  safe  distance,  would  sit  down  and  howl 
and  whine  with  tones  that  gave  a  dreariness  to  the  sur- 
rounding solitude. 

After  pursuing  my  way  for  some  time,  I  descried  a  horse- 
man on  the  edge  of  a  distant  hill,  and  soon  recognized  him 
to  be  the  count.  He  had  been  equally  unsuccessful  with 
myself;  we  were  shortly  afterwards  rejoined  by  our  worthy 
comrade,  the  Virtuoso,  who,  with  spectacles  on  nose,  had 
made  two  or  three  ineffectual  shots  from  horseback. 

We  determined  not  to  seek  the  camp  until  we  had  made 
one  more  effort.  Casting  our  eyes  about  the  surrounding 
waste,  we  descried  a  herd  of  buffalo  about  two  miles  dis- 
tant, scattered  apart,  and  quietly  grazing  near  a  small 
strip  of  trees  and  bushes.  It  required  but  little  stretch  of 
fancy  to  picture  them  as  so  many  cattle  grazing  on  the  edge 
of  a  common,  and  that  the  grove  might  shelter  some  lowly 
farm-house. 

We  now  formed  our  plan  to  circumvent  the  herd,  and 
by  getting  on  the  other  side  of  them,  to  hunt  them  in  the 


Irving]  HUNTING   THE  BUFFALO.  153 

direction  where  we  knew  our  camp  to  be  situated ;  other- 
wise, the  pursuit  might  take  us  to  such  a  distance  as  to 
render  it  impossible  for  us  to  find  our  way  back  before 
night-fall.  Taking  a  wide  circuit,  therefore,  we  moved 
slowly  and  cautiously,  pausing  occasionally  when  we  saw 
any  of  the  herd  desist  from  grazing.  The  wind  fortunately 
set  from  them,  otherwise  they  might  have  scented  us  and 
have  taken  the  alarm.  In  this  way  we  succeeded  in 
getting  round  the  herd  without  disturbing  it.  It  consisted 
of  about  forty  head,  bulls,  cows,  and  calves. 

Separating  to  some  distance  from  each  other,  we  now 
approached  slowly  in  a  parallel  line,  hoping  by  degrees  to 
steal  near  without  exciting  attention.  They  began,  how- 
ever, to  move  off  quietly,  stopping  at  every  step  or  two  to 
graze,  when  suddenly  a  bull  that,  unobserved  by  us,  had 
been  taking  his  siesta  under  a  clump  of  trees  to  our  left, 
roused  himself  from  his  lair  and  hastened  to  join  his 
companions.  We  were  still  at  a  considerable  distance,  but 
the  game  had  taken  the  alarm.  "We  quickened  our  pace, 
they  broke  into  a  gallop,  and  now  commenced  a  full  chase. 

As  the  ground  was  level,  they  shouldered  along  with 
great  speed,  following  each  other  in  a  line ;  two  or  three 
bulls  bringing  up  the  rear,  the  last  of  whom,  from  his 
enormous  size  and  venerable  frontlet,  and  beard  of  sun- 
burnt hair,  looked  like  the  patriarch  of  the  herd,  and  as 
if  he  might  long  have  reigned  the  monarch  of  the  prairie. 

There  is  a  mixture  of  the  awful  and  the  comic  in  the 
look  of  these  huge  animals,  as  they  bear  their  great  bulk 
forward,  with  an  up-and-down  motion  of  the  unwieldy 
head  and  shoulders,  their  tail  cocked  up  like  the  queue  of 
Pantaloon  in  a  pantomime,  the  end  whisking  about  in  a 
fierce  yet  whimsical  style,  and  their  eyes  glaring  venom- 
ously with  an  expression  of  fright  and  fury. 

For  some  time  I  kept  parallel  with  the  line  without 


154  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [iBviNa 

being  able  to  force  my  horse  within  pistol-shot,  so  much 
had  he  been  alarmed  by  the  assault  of  the  buffalo  in  the 
preceding  chase.  At  length  I  succeeded,  but  was  again 
balked  by  my  pistols  missing  fire.  My  companions,  whose 
horses   were   less   fleet    and    more   way-worn,   could  not 

overtake  the  herd ;  at  length  Mr.  L ,  who  was  in  the 

rear  of  the  line  and  losing  ground,  levelled  his  double- 
barrelled  gun  and  fired  a  long  raking  shot.  It  struck  a 
buffalo  just  above  the  loins,  broke  its  backbone,  and 
brought  it  to  the  ground.  He  stopped  and  alighted  to 
despatch  his  prey,  when,  borrowing  his  gun,  which  had  yet 
a  charge  remaining  in  it,  I  put  my  horse  to  his  speed,  and 
again  overtook  the  herd,  which  was  thundering  along,  pur- 
sued by  the  count.  With  my  present  weapon  there  was 
no  need  of  urging  my  horse  to  such  close  quarters ;  gallop- 
ing along  parallel,  therefore,  I  singled  out  a  buffalo,  and  by 
a  fortunate  shot  brought  it  down  on  the  spot.  The  ball 
had  struck  a  vital  part ;  it  would  not  move  from  the  place 
where  it  fell,  but  lay  there  struggling  in  mortal  agony, 
while  the  rest  of  the  herd  kept  on  their  headlong  career 
across  the  prairie. 

Dismounting,  I  now  fettered  my  horse  to  prevent  his 
straying,  and  advanced  to  contemplate  my  victim.  I  am 
nothing  of  a  sportsman  :  I  had  been  prompted  to  this  un- 
wonted exploit  by  the  magnitude  of  the  game  and  the 
excitement  of  an  adventurous  chase.  Now  that  the  ex- 
citement was  over,  I  could  but  look  with  commiseration 
upon  the  poor  animal  that  lay  struggling  and  bleeding  at 
my  feet.  His  very  size  and  importance,  which  had  before 
inspired  me  with  eagerness,  now  increased  my  compunction. 
It  seemed  as  if  I  had  inflicted  pain  in  proportion  to  the 
bulk  of  my  victim,  and  as  if  there  were  a  hundred-fold 
greater  waste  of  life  than  there  would  have  been  in  the 
destruction  of  an  animal  of  inferior  size. 


Irving]  HUNTING   THE  BUFFALO.  15.5 

To  add  to  these  after-qualms  of  conscience,  the  poor 
animal  lingered  in  his  agony.  He  had  evidently  received 
a  mortal  wound,  but  death  might  be  long  in  coming.  It 
would  not  do  to  leave  him  here  to  be  torn  piecemeal,  while 
yet  alive,  by  the  wolves  that  had  already  snuffed  his  blood, 
and  were  skulking  and  howling  at  a  distance,  and  waiting 
for  my  departure,  and  by  the  ravens  that  were  flapping 
about  croaking  dismally  in  the  air.  It  became  now  an  act 
of  mercy  to  give  him  his  quietus  and  put  him  out  of  his 
misery.  I  primed  one  of  the  pistols,  therefore,  and 
advanced  close  up  to  the  buffalo.  To  inflict  a  wound  thus 
in  cool  blood  I  found  a  totally  different  thing  from  firing 
in  the  heat  of  the  chase.  Taking  aim,  however,  just 
behind  the  fore  shoulder,  my  pistol  for  once  proved  true ; 
the  ball  must  have  passed  through  the  heart,  for  the  animal 
gave  one  convulsive  throe  and  expired. 

While  I  stood  meditating  and  moralizing  over  the  wreck 
I  had  so  wantonly  produced,  with  my  horse  grazing  near 
me,  I  was  rejoined  by  my  fellow-sportsman  the  Virtuoso ; 
who,  being  a  man  of  universal  adroitness,  and  withal,  more 
experienced  and  hardened  in  the  gentle  art  of  "  venerie," 
soon  managed  to  carve  out  the  tongue  of  the  buffalo,  and 
deUvered  it  to  me  to  bear  back  to  the  camp  as  a  trophy. 

Our  solicitude  was  now  awakened  for  the  young  count. 
With  his  usual  eagerness  and  impetuosity  he  had  persisted 
in  urging  his  jaded  horse  in  pursuit  of  the  herd,  unwilling 
to  return  without  having  likewise  killed  a  buffalo.  In  this 
way  he  had  kept  on  following  them  hither  and  thither, 
and  occasionally  firing  an  ineffectual  shot,  until  by  degrees 
horseman  and  herd  became  indistinct  in  the  distance,  and 
at  length  swelling  ground  and  strips  of  trees  and  thickets 
hid  them  entirely  from  sight. 

By  the  time  my  friend,  the  amateur,  joined  me,  the 
young  count  had  been  long  lost  to  view.     We  held  a  con- 


156  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Irviktq 

sultation  on  the  matter.  Evening  was  drawing  on.  "Were 
we  to  pursue  him,  it  would  be  dark  before  we  should  over- 
take him,  granting  we  did  not  entirely  lose  trace  of  him  in 
the  gloom.  We  should  then  be  too  much  bewildered  to 
find  our  way  back  to  the  encampment;  even  now  our 
return  would  be  difficult.  We  determined,  therefore,  to 
hasten  to  the  camp  as  speedily  as  possible,  and  send  out 
our  half-breeds  and  some  of  the  veteran  hunters,  skilled 
in  cruising  about  the  prairies,  to  search  for  our  companion. 

We  accordingly  set  forward  in  what  we  supposed  to  be 
the  direction  of  the  camp.  Our  weary  horses  could  hardly 
be  urged  beyond  a  walk.  The  twilight  thickened  upon  us ; 
the  landscape  grew  gradually  indistinct ;  we  tried  in  vain 
to  recognize  various  landmarks  which  we  had  noted  in  the 
morning.  The  features  of  a  prairie  are  so  similar  as  to 
baffle  the  eye  of  any  but  an  Indian  or  a  practised  woods- 
man. At  length  night  closed  in.  We  hoped  to  see  the 
distant  glare  of  camp-fires ;  we  listened  to  catch  the  sound 
of  the  bells  about  the  necks  of  the  grazing  horses.  Once 
or  twice  we  thought  we  distinguished  them :  we  were  mis- 
taken. Nothing  was  to  be  heard  but  a  monotonous  con- 
cert of  insects,  with  now  and  then  the  dismal  howl  of 
wolves  mingling  with  the  night  breeze.  We  began  to 
think  of  halting  for  the  night  and  bivouacking  under  the 
lee  of  some  thicket.  We  had  implements  to  strike  a  light ; 
there  was  plenty  of  firewood  at  hand,  and  the  tongues  of 
our  buffaloes  would  furnish  us  with  a  repast. 

Just  as  we  were  preparing  to  dismount  we  heard  the 
report  of  a  rifle,  and  shortly  after  the  notes  of  the  bugle, 
calling  up  the  night  guard.  Pushing  forward  in  that 
direction,  the  camp-fires  soon  broke  on  our  sight,  gleaming 
at  a  distance  from  among  the  thick  groves  of  an  alluvial 
bottom. 

As  we  entered  the  camp,  we  found  it  a  scene  of  rude 


Lewis]         IN  THE   COUNTRY  OF  THE  SIOUX.  '    157 

hunters'  revelry  and  wassail.  There  had  been  a  grand 
day's  sport, in  which  all  had  taken  a  part.  Eight  buffaloes 
had  been  killed  ;  roaring  fires  were  blazing  on  every  side ; 
all  hands  were  feasting  upon  roasted  joints,  broiled  marrow 
bones,  and  the  juicy  hump,  far  famed  among  the  epicures 
of  the  prairies.  Eight  glad  were  we  to  dismount  and  par- 
take of  the  sturdy  cheer,  for  we  had  been  on  our  weary 
horses  since  morning  without  tasting  food. 

[It  may  be  said  in  conclusion  that  the  count— a  young  Swiss  who 
accompanied  the  party — failed  to  return,  and  the  next  day  a  search  for 
him  had  to  be  made,  in  which  the  Indians  displayed  strikingly  their 
surprising  skill  in  following  a  trail.  The  missing  adventurer  was  at 
length  found.  He  had  spent  the  night  in  a  tree  for  fear  of  wolves,  and 
was  heartily  glad  to  see  the  face  of  his  fellow-man  again.] 


IN  THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  SIOUX. 

MERIWETHER   LEWIS. 

[The  following  selection,  here  attributed  to  Captain  M.  Lewis,  is 
taken  from  McVickar's  abridgment  of  the  journals  of  Lewis  and 
Clarke,  the  leaders  of  the  celebrated  expedition  of  1804-6,  sent  out 
by  President  Jefferson  to  explore  the  country  which  he  had  obtained 
by  treaty  from  France  as  part  of  the  Louisiana  purchase.  The  ex- 
plorers passed  across  the  plains  and  the  Kocky  Mountains  while  their 
pristine  conditions  were  as  yet  undisturbed  by  the  "  white  man's  foot," 
and  their  story  is  of  particular  value  from  this  fact.  "We  take  up 
their  story  in  their  journey  through  the  Sioux  country,  on  the  Mis- 
souri.    They  had  just  passed  a  village  of  the  Poncara  tribe.] 

Twenty  miles  farther  on  [continues  the  narrative]  we 
reached  and  encamped  at  the  foot  of  a  round  mountain  on 
the  south,  having  passed  two  small  islands.  This  moun- 
tain, which  is  about  three  hundred  feet  at  the  base,  forms 


158  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Lewis 

a  cone  at  the  top,  resembling  a  dome  at  a  distance,  and 
seventy  feet  or  more  above  the  surrounding  highlands. 
As  we  descended  from  this  dome,  we  arrived  at  a  spot  on 
the  gradual  descent  of  the  hill,  nearly  four  acres  in  extent, 
and  covered  with  small  holes ;  these  are  the  residence  of  a 
little  animal,  called  by  the  French  petit  chien  (little  dog), 
which  sit  erect  near  the  mouth,  and  make  a  whistling 
noise,  but,  when  alarmed,  take  refuge  in  their  holes.  In 
order  to  bring  them  out,  we  poured  into  one  of  the  holes 
five  barrels  of  water,  without  filling  it,  but  we  dislodged 
and  caught  the  owner.  After  digging  down  another  of 
the  holes  for  six  feet,  we  found,  on  running  a  pole  into  it, 
that  we  had  not  yet  dug  half-way  to  the  bottom ;  we  discov- 
ered, however,  two  frogs  in  the  hole,  and  near  it  we  killed 
a  dark  rattlesnake,  which  had  swallowed  a  small  prairie- 
dog.  "We  were  also  informed,  though  we  never  witnessed 
the  fact,  that  a  sort  of  lizard  and  a  snake  live  habitually 
with  these  animals.  The  petit  chien  are  justly  named,  as 
they  resemble  a  small  dog  in  some  particulars,  although  they 
have  also  some  points  of  similarity  to  the  squirrel.  The 
head  resembles  the  squirrel  in  every  respect,  except  that  the 
ear  is  shorter ;  the  tail  like  that  of  the  ground-squirrel ;  the 
toe-nails  are  long,  the  fur  is  fine,  and  the  long  hair  is  gray. 

The  following  days  they  saw  large  herds  of  buffalo,  and 
the  copses  of  timber  appeared  to  contain  elk  and  deer. 
Just  below  Cedar  Island  [adds  the  journal],  on  a  hill  to 
the  south,  is  the  backbone  of  a  fish,  forty-five  feet  long, 
tapering  towards  the  tail,  and  in  a  perfect  state  of  petri- 
faction, fragments  of  vhich  were  collected  and  sent  to 
Washington.  .  .  . 

September  17. — While  some  of  the  party  were  engaged  in 
the  same  way  as  yesterday,  others  were  employed  in  exam- 
ining the  surrounding  country.  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
beyond  our  camp,  and  at  an  elevation  of  twenty  feet  above 


Lewis]         IN  THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  SIOUX.  159 

it,  a  plain  extends  nearly  three  miles  parallel  to  the  river, 
and  about  a  mile  back  to  the  hills,  towards  which  it  grad- 
ually ascends.  Here  we  saw  a  grove  of  plum-trees,  loaded 
with  fruit,  now  ripe,  and  differing  in  nothing  from  those 
of  the  Atlantic  States,  except  that  the  tree  is  smaller  and 
more  thickly  set.  The  ground  of  the  plain  is  occupied  by 
the  burrows  of  multitudes  of  barking  squirrels,  who  entice 
hither  the  wolves  of  a  small  kind,  hawks,  and  polecats,  all 
of  which  animals  we  saw,  and  presumed  that  they  fed  on 
the  squirrel.  This  plain  is  intersected,  nearly  in  its  whole 
extent,  by  deep  ravines,  and  steep,  irregular  rising  grounds, 
from  one  to  two  hundred  feet.  On  ascending  the  range  of 
hills  which  border  the  plain,  we  saw  a  second  high  level 
plain,  stretching  to  the  south  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 
To  the  westward  a  high  range  of  hills,  about  twenty  miles 
distant,  runs  nearly  north  and  south,  but  not  to  any  great 
extent,  as  their  rise  and  termination  is  embraced  by  one 
view,  and  they  seemed  covered  with  a  verdure  similar  to 
that  of  the  plains.  The  same  view  extended  over  the 
irregular  hills  which  border  the  northern  side  of  the  Mis- 
souri. 

All  around,  the  country  had  been  recently  burned,  and  a 
young  green  grass  about  four  inches  high  covered  the 
ground,  which  was  enhvened  by  herds  of  antelopes  and 
buffalo,  the  last  of  which  were  in  such  multitudes  that  we 
cannot  exaggerate  in  saying  that  at  a  single  glance  we  saw 
three  thousand  of  them  before  us.  Of  all  the  animals  we 
had  seen,  the  antelope  seems  to  possess  the  most  wonderful 
fleetness.  Shy  and  timorous,  they  generally  repose  only  on 
the  ridges,  which  command  a  view  of  all  the  approaches  of 
an  enemy ;  the  acuteness  of  their  sight  distinguishes  the 
most  distant  danger ;  the  delicate  sensibility  of  their  smell 
defeats  the  precautions  of  concealment ;  and,  when  alarmed, 
their  rapid  career  seems  more  like  the  flight  of  birds  than 


160  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Lewis 

the  movements  of  a  quadruped.  After  many  unsuccessful 
attempts,  Captain  Lewis  at  last,  by  winding  around  the 
ridges,  approached  a  party  of  seven,  which  were  on  an 
eminence  towards  which  the  wind  was  unfortunately 
blowing.  The  only  male  of  the  party  frequently  encircled 
the  summit  of  the  hill,  as  if  to  announce  any  danger  to  the 
females,  which  formed  a  group  at  the  top.  Although  they 
did  not  see  Captain  Lewis,  the  smell  alarmed  them,  and 
they  fled  when  he  was  at  the  distance  of  two  hundred 
yards;  he  immediately  ran  to  the  spot  where  they  had 
been;  a  ravine  concealed  them  from  him;  but  the  next 
moment  they  appeared  on  a  second  ridge,  at  a  distance  of 
three  miles.  He  doubted  whether  they  could  be  the  same ; 
but  their  number,  and  the  extreme  rapidity  with  which 
they  continued  their  course,  convinced  him  that  they  must 
have  gone  with  a  speed  equal  to  that  of  the  most  distin- 
guished race-horse.  Among  our  acquisitions  to-day  were 
a  mule  deer,  a  magpie,  a  common  deer,  and  a  buffalo. 
Captain  Lewis  also  saw  a  hare,  and  killed  a  rattlesnake 
near  the  burrows  of  the  barking  squirrels. 

September  18. — Having  everything  in  readiness,  we  pro- 
ceeded, with  the  boat  much  lightened,  but  the  wind  being 
from  the  northwest,  we  made  but  little  way.  At  one  mile 
we  reached  an  island  in  the  middle  of  the  river,  nearly  a 
mile  in  length,  and  covered  with  red  cedar ;  at  its  extremity 
a  small  creek  comes  in  from  the  north.  We  then  met 
some  sand-bars,  and  the  wind  being  very  high  and  ahead, 
we  encamped  on  the  south,  having  made  only  seven  miles. 
In  addition  to  the  common  deer,  which  were  in  great  abun- 
dance, we  saw  goats,  elk,  buffalo,  and  the  black-tailed  deer; 
the  large  wolves,  too,  are  very  numerous,  and  have  long 
hair  with  coarse  fur,  and  are  of  a  light  color.  A  small 
species  of  wolf,  about  the  size  of  a  gray  fox,  was  also  killed, 
and  proved  to  be  the  animal  which  we  had  hitherto  mis- 


Lkwis]         in  the  country  OF  THE  SIOUX.  161 

taken  for  a  fox.  There  are  also  many  porcupines,  rabbits, 
and  barking  squirrels  in  the  neighborhood.  .  .  . 

On  the  20th  they  arrived  at  the  Grand  Detour,  or  Great 
Bend,  and  two  men  were  despatched  with  the  only  horse, 
to  hunt,  and  wait  the  arrival  of  the  boats  beyond  it.  After 
proceeding  twenty-seven  and  a  half  miles  farther,  they  en- 
camped on  a  sand-bar  in  the  river.  Captain  Clarke 
[continues  the  narrative],  who  early  this  morning  had 
crossed  the  neck  of  the  bend,  joined  us  in  the  evening.  At 
the  narrowest  part  the  gorge  is  composed  of  high  and  ir- 
regular hills  of  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  or  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety  feet  in  elevation ;  from  this  descends  an 
unbroken  plain  over  the  whole  of  the  bend,  and  the  country 
is  separated  from  it  by  this  ridge.  Great  numbers  of  buf- 
falo, elk,  and  goats  are  wandering  over  these  plains,  accom- 
panied by  grouse  and  larks.  Captain  Clarke  saw  a  hare, 
also,  on  the  Great  Bend. 

Of  the  goats  killed  to-day,  one  is  a  female,  differing  from 
the  male  in  being  smaller  in  size ;  its  horns,  too,  are  smaller 
and  straighter,  having  one  short  prong,  and  no  black  about 
the  neck.  None  of  these  goats  have  any  beard,  but  are 
delicately  formed  and  very  beautiful. 

Shortly  after  midnight  the  sleepers  were  startled  by  the 
sergeant  on  guard  crying  out  that  the  sand-bar  was  sink- 
ing, and  the  alarm  was  given ;  for  scarcely  had  they  got 
off  with  the  boats  before  the  bank  under  which  they  had 
been  lying  fell  in ;  and  by  the  time  the  opposite  shore  was 
reached  the  ground  on  which  they  had  been  encamped 
sunk  also.  A  man  who  was  sent  to  step  off  the  distance 
across  the  head  of  the  bend  made  it  but  two  thousand 
yards,  while  its  circuit  is  thirty  miles.  On  the  22d  they 
passed  a  creek  and  two  islands,  known  by  the  name  of 
the  Three  Sisters,  where  a  beautiful  plain  extended  on 

both  sides  of  the  river.     This  is  followed  by  an  island  on 

Vol.  I— II 


162  IVORLD'8  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Lewis 

the  north,  called  Cedar  Island,  about  one  mile  and  a  half 
in  length,  and  the  same  distance  in  breadth,  and  deriving 
its  name  from  the  quality  of  its  timber.  On  the  south  side 
of  this  island  is  a  fort  and  a  large  trading-house,  built  by  a 
Mr.  Loisel  in  order  to  trade  with  the  Sioux,  the  remains  of 
whose  camps  are  in  great  numbers  about  this  place.  The 
establishment  is  sixty  or  seventy  feet  square,  built  with 
red  cedar,  and  picketed  in  with  the  same  materials. 

The  next  day,  in  the  evening,  three  boys  of  the  Sioux 
nation  swam  across  the  river,  and  informed  them  that  two 
parties  of  Sioux  were  encamped  on  the  next  river,  one  con- 
sisting of  eighty  and  the  second  of  sixty  lodges,  at  some  dis- 
tance above.  After  treating  them  kindly,  they  sent  them 
back  with  a  present  of  two  carrots  of  tobacco  to  their  chiefs, 
whom  they  invited  to  a  conference  in  the  morning, 

September  2Jf. — At  an  island  a  few  miles  above  High- 
water  Creek  they  were  joined  by  one  of  their  hunters, 
who  [proceeds  the  narrative]  procured  four  elk ;  but  while 
he  was  in  pursuit  of  the  game  the  Indians  had  stolen  his 
horse.  We  left  the  island,  and  soon  overtook  five  Indians 
on  the  shore ;  we  anchored,  and  told  them  from  the  boat 
we  were  friends,  and  wished  to  continue  so,  but  were  not 
afraid  of  any  Indians ;  that  some  of  their  young  men  had 
stolen  the  horse  which  their  great  father  had  sent  for  their 
great  chief,  and  that  we  could  not  treat  with  them  until  he 
was  restored.  They  said  they  knew  nothing  of  the  horse, 
but  if  he  had  been  taken  he  should  be  given  up.  We  went 
on,  and  at  thirteen  and  a  half  miles  we  anchored  one  hun- 
dred yards  off  the  mouth  of  a  river  on  the  south  side,  where 
we  were  joined  by  both  the  pirogues,  and  encamped ;  two- 
thirds  of  the  party  remained  on  board,  and  the  rest  went 
as  a  guard  on  shore,  with  the  cooks  and  one  pirogue;  we 
have  seen  along  the  sides  of  the  hills  on  the  north  a  great 
deal  of  stone ;  besides  the  elk,  we  also  observed  a  hare ;  the 


Lewis]         IN  THE  COUNTRY  OF  TEE  SIOUX.  163 

five  Indians  whom  we  had  seen  followed  us,  and  slept  with 
the  guard  on  shore.  Finding  one  of  them  was  a  chief,  we 
smoked  with  him,  and  made  him  a  present  of  tobacco. 
This  river  is  about  seventy  yards  wide,  and  has  a  consider- 
able current.  As  the  tribe  of  the  Sioux  which  inhabit  it 
are  called  Tetons,  we  gave  it  the  name  of  Teton  Eiver. 

[On  the  26th  they  met  a  party  of  Indians  who  threatened  violence, 
and  attempted  to  detain  them  by  force,  but  were  induced  to  desist  by 
a  threatening  attitude  on  the  part  of  the  whites.] 

September  26. — Our  conduct  yesterday  seemed  to  have 
inspired  the  Indians  with  fear  of  us ;  and  as  we  were  de- 
sirous of  cultivating  their  acquaintance,  we  complied  with 
their  wish  that  we  should  give  them  an  opportunity  of 
treating  us  well,  and  also  suifer  their  squaws  and  children 
to  see  us  and  our  boat,  which  would  be  perfectly  new  to 
them.  Accordingly,  after  passing,  at  one  and  a  half  miles, 
a  small  willow  island  and  several  sand-bars,  we  came  to  on 
the  south  side,  where  a  crowd  of  men,  women,  and  children 
were  waiting  to  receive  us.  Captain  Lewis  went  on  shore, 
and  remained  several  hours  ;  and  observing  that  their  dis- 
position was  friendly,  we  resolved  to  remain  during  the 
night  to  a  dance,  which  they  were  preparing  for  us.  Cap- 
tains Lewis  and  Clarke,  who  went  on  shore  one  after  the 
other,  were  met  on  landing  by  ten  well-dressed  young  men, 
who  took  them  up  in  a  robe,  highly  decorated,  and  carried 
them  to  a  large  council-house,  where  they  were  placed  on  a 
dressed  buffalo-skin  by  the  side  of  the  grand  chief  The 
hall,  or  council-room,  was  in  the  shape  of  three-quarters 
of  a  circle,  covered  at  the  top  and  sides  with  skins  well 
dressed  and  sewed  together.  Under  this  shelter  sat  about 
seventy  men,  forming  a  circle  round  the  chief,  before  whom 
were  placed  a  Spanish  flag  and  the  one  we  had  given  them 
yesterday. 


164  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Lewis 

This  left  a  vacant  circle  of  about  six  feet  in  diameter,  in 
which  the  pipe  of  peace  was  raised  on  two  forked  sticks, 
about  six  or  eight  inches  from  the  ground,  and  under  it  the 
down  of  the  swan  was  scattered  ;  a  large  fire,  in  which 
they  were  cooking  provisions,  stood  near,  and  in  the  centre 
about  four  hundred  pounds  of  excellent  buffalo-meat,  as  a 
present  for  us. 

As  soon  as  we  were  seated  an  old  man  got  up,  and  after 
approving  what  we  had  done,  begged  us  to  take  pity  on 
their  unfortunate  situation.  To  this  we  replied  with  as- 
surances of  protection.  After  he  had  ceased,  the  great 
chief  rose  and  delivered  an  harangue  to  the  same  effect ; 
then,  with  great  solemnity,  took  some  of  the  most  delicate 
parts  of  the  dog  which  was  cooked  for  the  festival,  and 
held  it  to  the  flag  by  way  of  sacrifice  ;  this  done,  he  held 
up  the  pipe  of  peace,  and  first  pointed  it  towards  the 
heavens,  then  to  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe,  and  then 
to  the  earth,  made  a  short  speech,  lighted  the  pipe,  and 
presented  it  to  us.  We  smoked,  and  he  again  harangued 
his  people,  after  which  the  repast  was  served  up  to  us.  It 
consisted  of  the  dog  which  they  had  just  been  cooking, 
this  being  a  great  dish  among  the  Sioux,  and  used  on  all 
festivals;  to  this  were  added  pemitigon,  a  dish  made  of 
buffalo-meat,  dried  or  jerked,  and  then  pounded  and  mixed 
raw  with  grease  and  a  kind  of  ground  potato,  dressed  like 
the  preparation  of  Indian  corn  called  hommony,  to  which 
it  is  little  inferior.  Of  all  these  luxuries,  which  were  placed 
before  us  in  platters  with  horn  spoons,  we  took  the  pemiti- 
gon and  the  potato,  which  wo  found  good,  but  we  could  as 
yet  partake  but  sparingly  of  the  dog. 

We  ate  and  smoked  for  an  hour,  when  it  became  dark ; 
everything  was  then  cleared  away  for  the  dance,  a  large 
fire  being  made  in  the  centre  of  the  house,  giving  at  once 
light  and  warmth  to  the  ball-room.     The  orchestra  was 


Lewis]         IN  THE   COUNTRY  OF  TEE  SIOUX.  165 

composed  of  about  ten  men,  who  played  on  a  sort  of  tam- 
bourine, formed  of  skin  stretched  across  a  hoop,  and  made 
a  jingling  noise  with  a  long  stick  to  which  the  hoofs  of  deer 
and  goats  were  hung ;  the  third  instrument  was  a  email 
skin  bag  with  pebbles  in  it ;  these,  with  five  or  six  young 
men  for  the  vocal  part,  made  up  the  band.  The  women 
then  came  forward,  highly  decorated ;  some  with  poles  in 
their  hands,  on  which  were  hung  the  scalps  of  their  ene- 
mies ;  others  with  guns,  spears,  or  different  trophies  taken 
in  war  by  their  husbands,  brothers,  or  connections. 

Having  arranged  themselves  in  two  columns,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  fire,  as  soon  as  the  music  began  they  danced 
towards  each  other  till  they  met  in  the  centre,  when  the 
rattles  were  shaken,  and  they  all  shouted  and  returned 
back  to  their  places.  They  have  no  step,  but  shuffle  along 
the  ground;  nor  does  the  music  appear  to  be  anything 
more  than  a  confusion  of  noises,  distinguished  only  by 
hard  or  gentle  blows  upon  the  bufialo-skin  ;  the  song  is 
perfectly  extemporaneous.  In  the  pauses  of  the  dance 
some  man  of  the  company  comes  forward  and  recites,  in  a 
sort  of  low  guttural  tone,  some  little  story  or  incident, 
which  is  either  martial  or  ludicrous,  or,  as  was  the  case 
this  evening,  voluptuous  and  indecent ;  this  is  taken  up  by 
the  orchestra  and  the  dancers,  who  repeat  it  in  a  higher 
strain  and  dance  to  it.  Sometimes  they  alternate,  the 
orchestra  first  jDerforraing,  and  when  it  ceases  the  women 
raise  their  voices,  and  make  a  music  more  agreeable,  that 
is,  less  intolerable,  than  that  of  the  musicians. 

The  dances  of  the  men,  which  are  always  separate  from 
those  of  the  women,  are  conducted  very  nearly  in  the  same 
way,  except  that  the  men  jump  up  and  down  instead  of 
shuffling ;  and  in  the  war-dances  the  recitations  are  all  of 
a  military  cast.  The  harmony  of  the  entertainment  had 
nearly  been  disturbed  by  one  of  the  musicians,  who,  think- 


166  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Lewis 

ing  he  had  not  received  a  due  share  of  the  tobacco  we  had 
distributed  during  the  evening,  put  himself  into  a  passion, 
broke  one  of  the  drums,  threw  two  of  them  into  the  fire, 
and  left  the  band.  They  were  taken  out  of  the  fire ;  a  buffalo 
robe,  held  in  one  hand,  and  beaten  with  the  other  by  sev- 
eral of  the  company,  supplied  the  place  of  the  lost  drum  or 
tambourine,  and  no  notice  was  taken  of  the  offensive  con- 
duct of  the  man.  We  stayed  till  twelve  o'clock  at  night, 
when  we  informed  the  chiefs  that  they  must  be  fatigued 
with  all  these  attempts  to  amuse  us,  and  retired,  accompa- 
nied by  four  chiefs,  two  of  whom  spent  the  night  with 
us  on  board.  .  .  . 

The  tribe  which  we  this  day  saw  are  a  part  of  the  great 
Sioux  nation,  and  are  known  by  the  name  of  the  Teton 
Okandandas :  they  are  about  two  hundred  men  in  number, 
and  their  chief  residence  is  on  both  sides  of  the  Missouri, 
between  the  Chayenne  and  Teton  Elvers.  In  their  persons 
they  are  rather  ugly  and  ill  made,  their  legs  and  arms 
being  too  small,  their  cheek-bones  high,  and  their  eyes 
projecting.  The  females,  with  the  same  character  of 
form,  are  more  handsome ;  and  both  sexes  appear  cheerful 
and  sprightly ;  but  in  our  intercourse  with  them  we  dis- 
covered that  they  were  cunning  and  vicious.  .  .  . 

Their  lodges  are  very  neatly  constructed,  in  the  same 
form  as  those  of  the  Yanktons :  they  consist  of  about  one 
hundred  cabins  (made  of  white  buffalo  dressed  hide),  with 
a  larger  one  in  the  centre  for  holding  councils  and  dances. 
They  are  built  round  with  poles,  about  fifteen  or  twenty 
feet  high,  covered  with  white  skins.  These  lodges  may  be 
taken  to  pieces,  packed  up,  and  carried  with  the  nation 
wherever  they  go,  by  dogs  which  bear  great  burdens. 
The  women  are  chiefly  employed  in  dressing  buffalo-skins ; 
they  seem  perfectly  well  disposed,  but  are  addicted  to 
stealing  anything  which  they  can  take  without  being  ob- 


Lewis]         IN  THE  COUNTRY  OF  THE  SIOUX.  167 

served.  This  nation,  although  it  makes  so  many  ravages 
among  its  neighbors,  is  badly  supplied  with  guns.  The 
water  which  they  carry  with  them  is  contained  chiefly  in 
the  paunches  of  deer  and  other  animals,  and  they  make 
use  of  wooden  bowls.  Some  had  their  heads  shaved, 
which  we  found  was  a  species  of  mourning  for  their 
relations.  Another  usage  on  these  occasions  is  to  run 
arrows  through  the  flesh,  both  above  and  below  the  elbow. 
While  on  shore  to-day  we  witnessed  a  quarrel  between 
two  squaws,  which  appeared  to  be  growing  every  moment 
more  boisterous,  when  a  man  came  forward,  at  whose 
approach  every  one  seemed  terrified  and  ran.  He  took  the 
squaws,  and  without  any  ceremony  whipped  them  severely. 
On  inquiring  into  the  nature  of  such  summary  justice, 
we  learned  that  this  man  was  an  officer  well  known  to  this 
and  many  other  tribes.  His  duty  is  to  keep  the  peace ; 
and  the  whole  interior  police  of  the  village  is  confided  to 
two  or  three  of  these  officers,  who  are  named  by  the  chief, 
and  remain  in  power  some  days,  at  least  till  the  chief 
appoints  a  successor :  they  seem  to  be  a  sort  of  constable 
or  sentinel,  since  they  are  always  on  the  watch  to  keep 
tranquillity  during  the  day,  and  guarding  the  camp  in 
the  night.  The  short  duration  of  their  office  is  compen- 
sated by  its  authority.  Their  power  is  supreme,  and  in  the 
suppression  of  any  riot  or  disturbance  no  resistance  to 
them  is  suffered;  their  persons  are  sacred;  and  if,  in  the 
execution  of  their  duty,  they  strike  even  a  chief  of  the 
second  class,  they  cannot  be  punished  for  this  salutary 
insolence. 


168  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Clarke 


THE  GREAT  FALLS  OF  THE  MISSOURI 

WILLIAM   CLARKE. 

[The  journals  of  Lewis  and  Clarke,  descriptive  of  their  observations 
in  the  western  United  States  during  their  journey  across  the  plains 
and  mountains  to  the  Pacific,  are  full  of  interesting  incident.  They 
were  the  first  intelligent  travellers  through  that  vast  region,  and  the 
story  of  their  journey  must  always  possess  a  high  value  for  this  reason, 
the  aborigines  and  the  animal  life  of  that  country  being  as  yet  undis- 
turbed by  the  presence  of  the  whites.  They  had  now  reached  the  upper 
Missouri  and  were  within  view  of  the  Kocky  Mountains.  "We  quote 
from  McVickar's  abridgment  of  their  journals.] 

On  the  north  we  passed  a  precipice  about  one  hundred 
and  twenty  feet  high,  under  which  lay  scattered  the  remains 
of  at  least  one  hundred  carcasses  of  buffaloes,  although  the 
water,  which  had  washed  away  the  lower  part  of  the  hill, 
must  have  carried  off  many  of  the  dead. 

These  buffaloes  had  been  chased  down  the  precipice  in  a 
way  very  common  on  the  Missouri,  and  by  which  vast  herds 
are  destroyed  in  a  moment.  The  mode  of  hunting  is  to 
select  one  of  the  most  active  and  fleet  young  men,  who  is 
disguised  by  a  buffalo-skin  round  his  body ;  the  skin  of  the 
head,  with  the  ears  and  horns,  being  fastened  on  his  own 
in  such  a  way  as  to  deceive  the  animal.  Thus  dressed,  he 
fixes  himself  at  a  convenient  distance  between  a  herd  of 
buffaloes  and  any  of  the  river  precipices,  which  sometimes 
extend  for  miles.  His  companions  in  the  mean  time  get  in 
the  rear  and  on  the  sides  of  the  herd,  and  at  a  given 
signal  show  themselves  and  advance  towards  them.  The 
buffaloes  instantly  take  the  alarm,  and,  finding  the  hunters 
beside  them,  they  run  towards  the  disguised  Indian  or 
decoy,  who  leads  them  on  at  full  speed  towards  the  river, 


Clarke]     THE  GREAT  FALLS  OF  THE  MISSOURL        169 

"when,  suddenly  securing  himself  in  some  crevice  of  the 
cliff  which  he  had  previously  fixed  on,  the  herd  is  left  on 
the  brink  of  the  precipice.  It  is  then  impossible  for  the 
foremost  to  retreat,  or  even  to  stop ;  they  are  pressed  on 
by  the  hindmost  rank,  which,  seeing  no  danger  but  from 
the  hunters,  goad  on  those  before  them,  till  the  whole  are 
precipitated  over  the  cliff,  and  the  shore  is  strewed  with 
their  dead  bodies. 

Sometimes,  in  this  perilous  seduction,  the  Indian  himself 
is  either  trodden  underfoot  by  the  rapid  movements  of 
the  buffaloes,  or,  missing  his  footing  in  the  cliff,  is  urged 
down  the  precipice  by  the  falling  herd.  The  Indians  then 
select  as  much  meat  as  they  wish,  and  the  rest  is  abandoned 
to  the  wolves,  and  creates  a  most  dreadful  stench.  The 
wolves  which  had  been  feasting  on  these  carcasses  were 
very  fat,  and  so  gentle  that  one  of  them  was  killed  with  a 
spontoon. 

[They  were  now  on  the  foot-hills  of  the  mountains,  in  the  country 
of  the  Minnetarees.  Their  journey  met  with  obstructions  from  pre- 
cipitous cliffs.] 

These  hills  and  river  cliffs  exhibit  a  most  extraordinary 
and  romantic  appearance.  They  rise  in  most  places  nearly 
perpendicular  from  the  river  to  the  height  of  between  two 
and  three  hundred  feet,  and  are  formed  of  very  white 
sandstone,  so  soft  as  to  yield  readily  to  the  action  of  water, 
but  in  the  upper  part  of  which  lie  embedded  two  or  three 
thin  horizontal  strata  of  white  freestone  unaffected  by  the 
rain ;  and  on  the  top  is  a  dark  rich  loam,  which  forms  a 
gradually  ascending  plain,  from  a  mile  to  a  mile  and  a  half 
in  extent,  when  the  hills  again  rise  abruptly  to  the  height 
of  about  three  hundred  feet  more.  In  trickling  down  the 
cliffs  the  water  has  worn  the  soft  sandstone  into  a  thousand 
grotesque  figures,  among  which,  with  a  little  fancy,  may 


170  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Clarke 

be  discerned  elegant  ranges  of  freestone  buildings,  with 
columns  variously  sculptured,  and  supporting  long  and 
elegant  galleries,  while  the  parapets  are  adorned  with 
statuary.  On  a  nearer  approach  they  represent  every 
form  of  elegant  ruins,  columns,  some  with  pedestals  and 
capitals  entire,  others  mutilated  and  prostrate,  and  some 
rising  pyramidally  over  each  other  till  they  terminate  in  a 
sharp  point.  These  are  varied  by  niches,  alcoves,  and  the 
customary  appearances  of  desolated  magnificence.  The 
delusion  is  increased  by  the  number  of  martins  which  have 
built  their  globular  nest  in  the  niches,  and  hover  over  these 
columns  as  in  our  country  they  are  accustomed  to  frequent 
large  stone  structures. 

As  we  advance  there  seems  no  end  to  the  visionary  en- 
chantment that  surrounds  us.  In  the  midst  of  this  fan- 
tastic scenery  are  vast  ranges  of  walls,  which  seem  the 
productions  of  art,  so  regular  is  the  workmanship.  They 
rise  perpendicularly  from  the  river,  sometimes  to  the 
height  of  one  hundred  feet,  varying  in  thickness  from  one 
to  twelve  feet,  being  equally  broad  at  the  top  as  below. 
The  stones  of  which  they  are  formed  are  black,  thick,  and 
durable,  composed  of  a  large  portion  of  earth,  intermixed 
and  cemented  with  a  small  quantity  of  sand,  and  a  consid- 
erable proportion  of  talc  or  quartz.  These  stones  are 
almost  invariably  parallelopipeds  of  unequal  sizes  in  the 
wall,  but  equally  deep,  and  laid  regularly  in  ranges  over 
each  other  like  bricks,  each  breaking  and  covering  the  in- 
terstice of  the  two  on  which  it  rests.  But,  though  the 
perpendicular  interstice  be  destroyed,  the  horizontal  one 
extends  entirely  through  the  whole  work.  The  stones,  too, 
are  proportioned  to  the  thickness  of  the  wall  in  which 
they  are  employed,  being  largest  in  the  thickest  walls.  The 
thinner  walls  are  composed  of  a  single  depth  of  the  paral- 
lelepiped, while  the  thicker  ones  consist  of  two  or  more 


SMOSMOtME      F^AL-US,     IDAHO 


Clarke]     THE  ORE  AT  FALLS  OF  THE  MISSOURL        171 

depths.  These  walls  pass  the  river  at  several  places,  rising 
from  the  water's  edge  much  above  the  sandstone  bluffs, 
which  they  seem  to  penetrate ;  thence  they  cross  in  a 
straight  line,  on  either  side  of  the  river,  the  plains,  over 
which  they  tower  to  the  height  of  from  ten  to  seventy 
feet,  until  they  lose  themselves  in  the  second  range  of 
hills.  Sometimes  they  run  parallel  in  several  ranges  near 
to  each  other,  sometimes  intersect  each  other  at  right 
angles,  and  have  the  appearance  of  walls  of  ancient  houses 
or  gardens. 

[After  advancing  some  distance  farther,  the  proper  course  to  pursue 
became  doubtful,  and  Captains  Lewis  and  Clarke  set  out  in  diflerent 
directions  with  exploring  parties.  Lewis's  journey  proved  an  adven- 
turous one.] 

In  passing  along  the  side  of  a  bluif  at  a  narrow  pass, 
thirty  yards  in  length.  Captain  Lewis  slipped,  and,  but  for 
a  fortunate  recovery  by  means  of  his  spontoon,  would  have 
been  precipitated  into  the  river  over  a  precipice  of  about 
ninety  feet.  He  had  just  reached  a  spot  where,  by  the 
assistance  of  his  spontoon,  he  could  stand  with  tolerable 
safety,  when  he  heard  a  voice  behind  him  cry  out,  "  Good 
God,  captain,  what  shall  I  do  ?"  He  turned  instantly,  and 
found  it  was  Windsor,  who  had  lost  his  foothold  about  the 
middle  of  the  narrow  pass,  and  had  slipped  down  to  the 
very  verge  of  the  precipice,  where  he  lay  on  his  belly, 
with  his  right  arm  and  leg  over  it,  while  with  the  other 
leg  and  arm  he  was  with  diflSculty  holding  on,  to  keep  him- 
self from  being  dashed  to  pieces  below. 

His  dreadful  situation  was  instantly  perceived  by  Cap- 
tain Lewis,  who,  stifling  his  alarm,  calmly  told  him  that 
he  was  in  no  danger ;  that  he  should  take  his  knife  out 
of  his  belt  with  the  right  hand,  and  dig  a  hole  in  the  side 
of  the  bluff  to  receive  hia  right  foot.     With  great  presence 


172  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Clarke 

of  mind  he  did  this,  and  then  raised  himself  on  his  knees. 
Captain  Lewis  then  told  him  to  take  off  his  moccasins,  and 
come  forward  on  his  hands  and  knees,  holding  the  knife 
in  one  hand  and  his  rifle  in  the  other.  He  immediately 
crawled  in  this  way  till  he  came  to  a  secure  spot.  The 
men  who  had  not  attempted  this  passage  were  ordered  to 
return,  and  wade  the  river  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff,  where 
they  found  the  water  breast-high. 

This  adventure  taught  them  the  danger  of  crossing  the 
slippery  heights  of  the  river ;  but,  as  the  plains  were  inter- 
sected by  deep  ravines  almost  as  difficult  to  pass,  they  con- 
tinued down  the  stream,  sometimes  in  the  mud  of  the  low 
grounds,  sometimes  up  to  their  arms  in  water,  and,  when 
it  became  too  deep  to  wade,  they  cut  footholds  with  their 
knives  in  the  sides  of  the  banks.  In  this  way  they  trav- 
elled through  the  rain,  mud,  and  water,  and,  having  made 
only  eighteen  miles  during  the  whole  day,  encamped  in  an 
old  Indian  lodge  of  sticks,  which  afforded  them  a  dry  shelter. 
Here  they  cooked  part  of  six  deer  they  had  killed  in  the 
course  of  the  route,  and,  having  eaten  the  only  morsel  they 
had  tasted  during  the  whole  day,  slept  comfortably  on 
some  willow-boughs. 

[A  few  days  afterwards,  Captain  Lewis  reached  the  Falls  of  the 
Missouri,  which  he  eloquently  describes.] 

To  the  southwest  [says  the  journalist]  there  arose  from 
this  plain  two  mountains  of  a  singular  appearance,  and 
more  like  rampai-ts  of  high  fortifications  than  works  of 
nature.  They  are  square  figures,  with  sides  rising  per- 
pendicularly to  the  height  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  feet, 
formed  of  yellow  clay,  and  the  tops  seemed  to  be  level 
plains.  Finding  that  the  river  here  bore  considerably  to 
the  south,  and  fearful  of  passing  the  falls  before  reaching 
the  Eocky  Mountains,  they  now  changed  their  course  to 


Clarke]     THE   GREAT  FALLS  OF  THE  MISSOURI.       173 

the  south,  and,  leaving  those  insulated  hills  to  the  right, 
proceeded  across  the  plain. 

In  this  direction  Captain  Lewis  had  gone  about  two 
miles,  when  his  ears  were  saluted  with  the  agreeable 
sound  of  a  fall  of  water;  and,  as  he  advanced,  a  spray, 
which  seemed  driven  by  the  southwest  wind,  arose  above 
the  plain  like  a  column  of  smoke,  and  vanished  in  an  in- 
stant. Towards  this  point  he  directed  his  steps,  and  the 
noise,  increasing  as  he  approached,  soon  became  too  tre- 
mendous to  be  mistaken  for  anything  but  the  Great  Falls 
of  the  Missouri. 

Having  travelled  seven  miles  after  first  hearing  the 
sound,  he  reached  the  Falls  about  twelve  o'clock.  The 
hills,  as  he  approached,  were  diflBcult  of  access,  and  two 
hundred  feet  high;  down  these  he  hurried  with  impatience, 
and,  seating  himself  on  some  rocks  under  the  centre  of 
the  Falls,  enjoyed  the  sublime  spectacle  of  this  stupendous 
object,  which  since  the  creation  had  been  lavishing  its 
magnificence  upon  the  desert,  unknown  to  civilization. 

The  river,  immediately  at  its  cascade,  is  three  hundred 
yards  wide,  and  is  pressed  by  a  perpendicular  cliff  on  the 
left,  which  rises  to  about  one  hundred  feet,  and  extends  up 
the  stream  for  a  mile ;  on  the  right  the  bluff  is  also  perpen- 
dicular for  three  hundred  yards  above  the  fall.  For  ninety 
or  a  hundred  feet  from  the  left  cliff  the  water  falls  in  one 
smooth,  even  sheet  over  a  precipice  of  at  least  eighty  feet. 
The  remaining  part  of  the  river  precipitates  itself  with  a 
more  rapid  current,  and,  being  received  as  it  falls  by  the 
irregular  and  somewhat  projecting  rocks  below,  forms  a 
splendid  spectacle  of  perfectly  white  foam,  two  hundred 
yards  in  length  and  eighty  in  perpendicular  elevation. 
This  spray  is  dissipated  into  a  thousand  shapes,  sometimes 
flying  up  in  columns  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet,  which  are 
then  oppressed  by  larger  masses  of  the  white  foam,  on  all 


1T4  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRATELLERS.  [Clarkb 

which  the  sun  impresses  the  brightest  colors  of  the  rain- 
bow. 

Below  the  fall  the  water  beats  with  fury  against  a 
ledge  of  rocks,  which  extends  across  the  river  at  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  yards  from  the  precipice.  From  the  per- 
pendicular cliff  on  the  north  to  the  distance  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty  yards  the  rocks  are  only  a  few  feet  above  the 
water,  and,  when  the  river  is  high,  the  stream  finds  a 
channel  across  them  forty  yards  wide,  and  near  the  higher 
parts  of  the  ledge,  which  rise  about  twenty  feet,  and  ter- 
minate abruptly  within  eighty  or  ninety  yards  of  the 
southern  side.  Between  them  and  the  perpendicular  cliff 
on  the  south  the  whole  body  of  water  runs  with  great 
swiftness. 

A  few  small  cedars  grow  near  this  ridge  of  rocks,  which 
serves  as  a  barrier  to  defend  a  small  plain  of  about  three 
acres,  shaded  with  cottonwood ;  at  the  lower  extremity  of 
which  is  a  grove  of  the  same  trees,  where  are  several 
Indian  cabins  of  sticks ;  below  which  the  river  is  divided 
by  a  large  rock,  several  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water, 
and  extending  down  the  stream  for  twenty  yards.  At  the 
distance  of  three  hundred  yards  from  the  same  ridge  is  a 
second  abutment  of  solid  perpendicular  rock,  about  sixty 
feet  high,  projecting  at  right  angles  from  the  small  plain 
on  the  north  for  one  hundred  and  thirty-four  yards  into 
the  river.  After  leaving  this  the  Missoiiri  again  spreads 
itself  to  its  previous  breadth  of  three  hundred  yards, 
though  with  more  than  its  ordinary  rapidity.  .  .  . 

June  IJf. — This  morning  one  of  the  men  was  sent  to  Cap- 
tain Clarke  with  an  account  of  the  discovery  of  the  Falls ; 
and,  after  employing  the  rest  in  preserving  the  meat  which 
had  been  killed  yesterday,  Captain  Lewis  proceeded  to  ex- 
amine the  rapids  above.  From  the  Falls  he  directed  his 
course  southwest  up  the  river.     After  passing  one  con- 


Clarke]     THE  GREAT  FALLS  OF  THE  MISSOURL       175 

tinued  rapid  and  three  cascades,  each  three  or  four  feet 
high,  he  reached,  at  a  distance  of  five  miles,  a  second  fall. 
The  river  is  here  about  four  hundred  yards  wide,  and  for 
the  distance  of  three  hundred  rushes  down  to  the  depth 
of  nineteen  feet,  and  so  irregularly  that  he  gave  it  the 
name  of  the  Crooked  Falls.  From  the  southern  shore  it  ex- 
tends obliquely  upward  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards, 
and  then  forms  an  acute  angle  downward  nearly  to  the 
commencement  of  four  small  islands  close  to  the  northern 
side.  From  the  perpendicular  pitch  to  these  islands,  a  dis- 
tance of  more  than  one  hundred  yards,  the  water  glides 
down  a  sloping  rock  with  a  velocity  almost  equal  to  that 
of  its  fall ;  above  this  fall  the  river  bends  suddenly  to  the 
northward. 

While  viewing  this  place.  Captain  Lewis  heard  a  loud 
roar  above  him,  and,  crossing  the  point  of  a  hill  a  few 
hundred  yards,  he  saw  one  of  the  most  beautiful  objects  in 
nature :  the  whole  Missouri  is  suddenly  stopped  by  one 
shelving  rock,  which,  without  a  single  niche,  and  with  an 
edge  as  straight  and  regular  as  if  formed  by  art,  stretches 
itself  from  one  side  of  the  river  to  the  other  for  at  least  a 
quarter  of  a  mile.  Over  this  it  precipitates  itself  in  an 
even,  uninterrupted  sheet,  to  the  perpendicular  depth  of 
fifty  feet,  whence,  dashing  against  the  rocky  bottom,  it 
rushes  rapidly  down,  leaving  behind  it  a  sheet  of  purest 
foam  across  the  river.  The  scene  which  it  presented  was 
indeed  singularly  beautiful ;  since,  without  any  of  the  wild, 
irregular  sublimity  of  the  lower  falls,  it  combined  all  the 
regular  elegancies  which  the  fancy  of  a  painter  would 
select  to  form  a  beautiful  waterfall. 

The  eye  had  scarcely  been  regaled  with  this  charming 
prospect,  when,  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile.  Captain 
Lewis  observed  another  of  a  similar  kind.  To  this  he  im- 
mediately hastened,  and  found  a  cascade  stretching  across 


176  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Clarke 

the  whole  river  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  with  a  descent  of 
fourteen  feet,  though  the  perpendicular  pitch  was  only  six 
feet.  This,  too,  in  any  other  neighborhood,  would  have 
been  an  object  of  great  magnificence ;  but  after  what  he 
had  just  seen,  it  became  of  secondary  interest ;  his  curi- 
osity being,  however,  awakened,  he  determined  to  go  on, 
even  should  night  overtake  him,  to  the  head  of  the  falls. 
He  therefore  pursued  the  southwest  course  of  the  river, 
which  was  one  constant  succession  of  rapids  and  small  cas- 
cades, at  every  one  of  which  the  bluffs  grew  lower,  or  the 
bed  of  the  river  became  more  on  a  level  with  the  plains. 
At  the  distance  of  two  and  a  half  miles  he  arrived  at 
another  cataract  of  twenty-six  feet.  The  river  is  here  six 
hundred  yards  wide,  but  the  descent  is  not  immediately 
perpendicular,  though  the  river  falls  generally  in  a  regular 
and  smooth  sheet ;  for  about  one-third  of  the  descent  a  rock 
protrudes  to  a  small  distance,  receives  the  water  in  its  pas- 
sage, and  gives  it  a  curve. 

On  the  south  side  is  a  beautiful  plain,  a  few  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  falls ;  on  the  north  the  country  is  more 
broken,  and  there  is  a  hill  not  far  from  the  river.  Just 
below  the  falls  is  a  little  island  in  the  middle  of  the  river 
well  covered  with  timber.  Here,  on  a  cottonwood-tree,  an 
eagle  had  fixed  her  nest,  and  seemed  the  undisputed  mis- 
tress of  a  spot  to  contest  whose  dominion  neither  man  nor 
beast  would  venture  across  the  gulfs  that  surround  it,  and 
which  is  further  secured  by  the  mist  rising  from  the  Falls. 
This  solitary  bird  could  not  escape  the  observation  of  the 
Indians,  who  made  the  eagle's  nest  a  part  of  their  descrip- 
tion of  the  Falls,  and  which  now  proves  to  be  correct  in 
almost  every  particular,  except  that  they  did  not  do  justice 
to  their  height.  Just  above  this  is  a  cascade  of  about  five 
feet,  beyond  which,  as  far  as  could  be  discerned,  the  velocity 
of  the  water  seemed  to  abate. 


Clarke]     THE  GREAT  FALLS   OF  THE  MISSOURI.       177 

Captain  Lewis  now  ascended  the  hill  which  was  behind 
him,  and  saw  from  its  top  a  delightful  plain,  extending 
from  the  river  to  the  base  of  the  Snowy  Mountains  to  the 
south  and  southwest.  Along  this  wide,  level  country  the 
Missouri  pursued  its  winding  course,  filled  with  water  to 
its  smooth,  grassy  banks,  while  about  four  miles  above  it 
was  joined  by  a  large  river  flowing  from  the  northwest, 
through  a  valley  three  miles  in  width,  and  distinguished  by 
the  timber  which  adorned  its  shores.  The  Missouri  itself 
stretches  to  the  south  in  one  unruffled  stream  of  vpater, 
as  if  unconscious  of  the  roughness  it  must  soon  encounter, 
and  bearing  on  its  bosom  vast  flocks  of  geese,  while  numer- 
ous herds  of  buffaloes  are  feeding  on  the  plains  which  sur- 
round it. 

Captain  Lewis  then  descended  the  hill,  and  directed  his 
course  towards  the  river,  falling  in  from  the  west.  He 
soon  met  a  herd  of  at  least  a  thousand  buffaloes,  and,  being 
desirous  of  providing  for  supper,  shot  one  of  them.  The 
animal  immediately  began  to  bleed,  and  Captain  Lewis, 
who  had  forgotten  to  reload  his  rifle,  was  intently  watch- 
ing to  see  him  fall,  when  he  beheld  a  large  brown  bear 
which  was  stealing  on  him  unperceived,  and  was  already 
within  twenty  steps.  In  the  first  moment  of  surprise  he 
lifted  his  rifle,  but  remembering  instantly  that  it  was  not 
charged,  and  that  ho  had  no  time  to  reload,  he  felt  there 
was  no  safety  but  in  flight.  It  was  in  the  open,  level 
plain  ;  not  a  bush  nor  a  tree  within  three  hundred  yards, 
the  bank  of  the  river  sloping,  and  not  more  than  three 
feet  high,  so  that  there  was  no  possible  mode  of  conceal- 
ment. 

Captain  Lewis  therefore  thought  of  retreating  with  a 
quick  walk,  as  fast  as  the  bear  advanced,  towards  the  near- 
est tree ;  but  as  soon  as  he  turned,  the  bear  rushed  open- 
mouthed  and  at  full  speed  upon  him.     Caj)tain  Lewis  ran 

Vol.  I — 13 


178  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Watson 

about  eighty  yards,  but  finding  that  the  animal  gained  on 
him  fast,  it  flashed  on  his  mind  that  by  getting  into  the 
water  to  such  a  depth  that  the  bear  would  be  obliged  to 
attack  him  swimming,  there  was  still  some  chance  for 
his  life ;  he  therefore  turned  short,  plunged  into  the  river 
about  waist-deep,  and,  facing  about,  presented  the  point  of 
his  spontoon.  The  bear  arrived  at  the  water's  edge  within 
twenty  feet  of  him ;  but  as  soon  as  he  put  himself  in  this 
posture  of  defence  he  seemed  frightened,  and,  wheeling 
about,  retreated  with  as  much  precipitation  as  he  had  ad- 
vanced. 

Very  glad  to  be  released  from  his  danger.  Captain  Lewis 
returned  to  the  shore,  and  observed  him  run  with  great 
speed,  sometimes  looking  back,  as  if  he  expected  to  be  pur- 
sued, till  ho  reached  the  woods.  He  could  not  conceive 
the  cause  of  the  sudden  alarm  of  the  bear,  but  congratu- 
lated himself  on  his  escape,  when  he  saw  his  own  track 
torn  to  pieces  by  the  furious  animal ;  and  he  learned  from 
the  whole  adventure  never  to  suffer  his  rifle  to  be  for  a 
moment  unloaded. 


HUNTING  SCENES  IN  THE  CANADIAN  WOODS. 

B.   A.   WATSON. 

[As  the  literature  of  travel  necessarily  includes  the  deeds  of  the 
hunter  in  the  haunts  of  wild  animals,  we  have  included  among  our 
selections  a  number  of  hunting  scenes  in  different  countries.  The 
following  incidents  from  a  hunter's  experience  are  from  a  popular 
work  of  sporting  life,  Watson's  "  The  Sportsman's  Paradise,  or  the 
Lake  Land  of  Canada. ' '  The  following  is  an  exciting  story  of  a  deer- 
hunt  on  a  Canadian  lake.  ] 

The  forenoon  of  the  next  day,  October  7,  was  spent  in 
trout-fishing,  grouse-shooting,  and  exploring  the  surround- 


Watson]  HUNTING  SCENES  IN  CANADIAN  WOODS.      179 

ing  country.  The  captain  conducted  me  about  half  a  mile 
up  the  side  of  a  steep  hill,  which  had  its  base  on  Long 
Lake,  to  another  lake  situated  at  the  top  of  this  hill  or 
mountain.  While  I  recognize  the  fact  that  all  mountain 
lakes  occupy  different  planes  or  levels,  some  higher  and 
some  lower,  still  it  seemed  very  unusual  to  climb  the  face 
of  a  steep  hill,  commencing  at  one  lake,  and  find  another 
just  where  you  had  expected  to  reach  the  hill-top.  This 
lake  was  nearly  round,  and  probably  somewhat  less  than 
one-half  mile  in  diameter.  We  saw  during  our  morning 
peregrinations  many  old  moose-tracks,  and  also  many  spots 
in  the  woods  where  these  animals  had  browsed ;  while  a 
few  of  these  moose  indications  were  certainly  of  recent 
origin. 

The  captain  thought  it  wise  to  tarry  in  our  present  camp 
several  days,  to  kill  deer  and  dry  the  venison,  in  order  that 
we  might  have  a  supply  of  meat  while  engaged  in  moose- 
hunting,  independent  of  that  which  we  might  be  able  to 
kill  during  this  period. 

We  had  unanimously  agreed  that  it  was  inexpedient  to 
take  dogs  with  us  on  the  moose-chase.  In  this  particular 
our  experience  fully  confirmed  the  wisdom  of  our  con- 
elusion.  The  moose  cannot  be  driven  to  water  by  deer- 
bounds,  or  any  other  species  of  dog  with  which  I  am 
familiar ;  and,  therefore,  had  we  taken  these  animals  with 
us,  they  could  only  have  served  to  announce  our  presence 
to  the  game  which  we  sought,  without  being  able  to  render 
any  assistance.  These  facts  will  become  more  apparent  to 
the  reader  when  he  has  read  other  portions  of  this  book, 
where  the  story  of  the  moose-hunt  has  been  told  from 
beginning  to  end.  We  are  now  entering  on  Nature's 
grandest  preserve, — we  find  here  the  "  King  of  the  Canadian 
Forest,"  alias  moose,  deer,  beaver,  black  bear,  black  wolf, 
speckled  and  lake  trout,  duck,  ruffled  grouse,  etc.     Here  is 


180  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Watson 

abundance  of  sport  for  the  true  sportsman.  During  the 
morning  stroll  we  saw  several  beaver-houses  which  were 
occupied,  and  examined  a  large  amount  of  their  fresh  work. 
These  sights  were  highly  interesting  to  me,  but  inasmuch 
as  they  have  been  so  frequently  described  by  others  I  shall 
omit  them  here. 

It  was  already  after  twelve  o'clock  when  we  reached  our 
camp.  The  guides  prepared  our  dinner,  which  was  speedily 
partaken  of,  and  then  we  got  off  on  a  deer-hunt.  The 
captain  started  into  the  woods  with  the  dogs.  George  Ross 
and  I  entered  a  canoe,  the  former  paddling  across  the  lake 
to  a  point  that  commanded  a  view  of  a  large  portion  of 
this  water.  We  then  stepped  on  dry  land,  and  there 
patiently  awaited  the  coming  developments.  We  carefully 
scanned  every  visible  portion  of  the  lake.  An  hour  passed 
and  still  we  were  watching ;  soon  a  grand  splash  was  heard 
near  the  shore  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake ;  the  guide 
caught  sight  of  the  water  which  was  thrown  high  into  the 
air,  but  the  head  of  the  deer  was  scarcely  visible  to  him 
while  the  animal  was  swimming  towards  us.  The  deer, 
which  at  first  swam  directly  towards  us,  soon  changed  his 
course,  and  headed  towards  the  foot  of  the  lake.  This 
change  brought  him  plainly  into  view.  A  few  minutes 
later  the  dog  was  seen  running  from  the  woods  where  the 
deer  broke  cover.  The  head  and  antlers  of  our  game  were 
visible  above  the  waters  of  the  lake,  while  he  was  swimming 
majestically  without  fear  or  even  anxiety.  We  stood  nearly 
half  an  hour  watching  the  movements  of  this  deer,  since 
we  could  not  safely  move  lest  we  should  be  discovered  by 
the  game  and  give  him  an  opportunity  to  return  to  his 
forest  home. 

The  reader  should  remember  that  this  animal  took  to  the 
water  from  the  shore  nearly  opposite  to  the  point  on  which 
we  were   standing,  that  the  deer  swam  almost  directly 


Watson]  HUNTING  SCENES  IN  CANADIAN  WOODS.      181 

towards  us  until  he  reached  the  middle  of  the  stream,  then 
turned  downward,  which  gave  us,  in  due  time,  an  opportu- 
nity to  come  in  unperceived  behind  him.  Patiently  we 
awaited  this  opportune  moment.  When  it  arrived  the 
canoe,  which  had  been  drawn  up  on  the  shore  near  us,  was 
quietly  shoved  out  upon  the  water.  Boss  gently  stepped 
to  the  stern  with  his  paddle  in  hand,  steadied  our  little 
bark  while  I  entered  its  bow,  where  I  seated  myself  and 
placed  my  rifle  by  my  right  side.  Eoss  carefully  pushed 
the  little  craft  from  its  moorings,  placed  himself  on  his  knees 
in  that  part  of  the  canoe  which  properly  trimmed  it,  and 
silently  plied  his  paddle. 

The  little  canoe  moved  noiselessly  but  rapidly  forward, 
every  stroke  of  the  paddle  bringing  us  nearer  to  the  game. 
There  was  another  paddle  lying  near  my  hand;  I  seized  it 
and  gave  a  helping  hand,  greatly  increasing  the  speed. 
Forward,  forward  we  went!  We  were  unperceived,  al- 
though within  ten  rods  of  a  beautiful  buck,  which  was 
swimming  in  the  middle  of  the  lake  directly  before  us. 
My  paddle  was  changed  for  my  rifle.  Nearer,  still  nearer 
we  approached.  The  rifle  was  raised  ;  the  bead  was  drawn, 
just  below  the  base  of  the  animal's  skull.  We  were  six 
rods  distant  from  the  deer.  A  little  puff"  of  white  smoke 
covered  the  bow  of  our  boat ;  the  crack  of  the  rifle  was 
heard,  and  the  lifeless  body  of  the  deer  floated  on  the 
water,  which  was  slightly  tinged  with  blood. 

Thus  ended  this  chase.  The  carcass  was  towed  to  shore 
in  front  of  our  camp,  and  the  captain  met  us  there,  hav- 
ing returned  from  the  woods,  where  he  had  gone  to  start 
the  dogs.  The  dog  which  followed  the  buck  I  had  just 
shot  was  also  now  in  our  camp,  but  the  other  was  still 
absent. 

Nearly  two  hours  had  elapsed  since  the  buck  was  shot. 
Tbere  were  now  on  the  shore,  in  front  of  our  camp,  the  cap- 


182  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Watsok 

tain,  George  Ross,  and  myself,  while  Mildenberger  had  gone 
back  into  the  forest  in  search  of  ruffled  grouse.  Suddenly 
the  captain  sprang  from  the  rock  on  which  he  had  been 
seated,  placed  his  right  hand  on  his  forehead  in  such  a 
position  as  to  shade  his  eyes,  while  he  leaned  slightly  for- 
ward and  gazed  steadily  out  over  the  surface  of  the  lake  a 
few  seconds  without  uttering  a  single  word.  This  position 
was  one  I  had  frequently  seen  him  assume.  I  therefore 
recognized  the  fact  that  he  had  sighted  game,  or  was  at 
least  swayed  by  this  thought,  and  now  endeavored  to  solve 
the  question. 

Thus  he  had  stood  for  a  few  seconds,  when  he  simply  ex- 
claimed, "  A  deer  in  the  lake .'"  and  instantly  sprang  forward 
to  the  canoe.  I  had  followed  him  closely  with  rifle  in 
hand,  expecting  to  make  the  chase  with  him ;  he  quickly 
pushed  the  frail  bark  into  the  water  and  hastily  said, 
"  Doctor,  let  George  go  with  me  in  the  canoe ;  it  will  be  a 
hard  chase ;  we  will  drive  the  deer  to  you." 

A  few  seconds  later  the  canoe  was  in  the  water,  the  cap- 
tain in  the  bow,  and  George  Eoss  in  the  stern,  each  on  their 
knees  with  a  paddle  in  their  hands.  The  little  birch  bark 
was  rushing  rapidly  forward,  propelled  by  the  power  of 
four  strong  muscular  arms.  The  sight  was  a  grand  one, 
and  called  to  mind  the  impetuous  charge  of  a  squadron  of 
cavalry  in  war  times.  The  captain  is  most  determined  and 
energetic  when  in  the  pursuit  of  game ;  like  the  grandest 
charger  in  the  squadron,  he  is  bound  to  take  the  lead,  while 
the  others  can  only  follow. 

I  had  seated  myself  on  a  rock,  soon  after  the  departure 
of  the  guides,  to  watch  the  deer,  whose  head  was  visible  to 
me  in  my  position,  although  fully  a  mile  away.  I  could 
not,  however,  at  so  great  a  distance  determine  whether 
the  animal  possessed  antlers  or  not ;  but  the  leisurely  man- 
ner in  which  it  was  swimming  satisfied  me  its  pursuers  were 


Watson]   HUNTING  SCENES  IN  CANADIAN  WOODS.      183 

undiscovered  until  they  had  made  at  least  three-fourths  of 
the  whole  distance.  The  animal,  when  first  discovered, 
was  nearly  opposite  to  our  camp  and  within  a  few  rods  of 
the  farther  shore.  The  guides,  in  order  to  succeed  in  the 
accomplishment  of  their  purpose,  were  compelled  to  make 
a  considerable  detour  to  the  rear  of  the  animal,  and  finally 
come  up  between  it  and  the  shore.  Fortunately  for  us, 
they  had  remained  for  a  considerable  time  undiscovered, 
and  the  animal,  in  the  mean  time,  was  gradually  leaving  the 
shore  while  swimming  down  the  lake. 

The  moment  came,  however,  when  the  pursuers  were 
discovered,  and  the  deer  then  made  the  most  frantic  efforts. 
I  could  see  it  spring  forward  with  all  its  power,  raising  its 
head  high  in  the  air  with  each  grand  effort,  but  the  guides 
are  pulling  stronger  than  before  on  their  paddles.  They 
seem,  when  viewed  from  my  position,  to  be  only  a  few  rods 
in  the  rear  of  the  animal,  but  the  deer  is  heading  for  the 
shore,  and  seems  about  ready  to  bound  into  the  forest.  It 
is  now  evident  to  me  that  the  chase  can  only  last  a  few 
seconds. 

I  sprang  from  my  seat ;  I  recalled  the  fact  that  the  guides 
had  no  gun  in  the  boat ;  I  realized  that  if  they  had  one  they 
could  now  easily  kill  the  animal ;  they  were  almost  on  it. 
An  instant  later  and  the  canoe  is  seen  between  the  deer  and  the 
shore.  A  loud  shout  is  heard  from  the  guides ;  they  wave 
their  hats ;  they  are  victorious,  and  the  disappointed  deer 
now  turns  and  swims  towards  the  middle  of  the  lake.  Its 
grandest  effort  has  been  made  ;  fatigue  and  disappointment 
slow  down  its  movements. 

It  was  now  an  easy  task  for  the  guides  to  direct  the  ani- 
mal to  any  point  on  the  lake.  The  canoe  was  kept  in  the 
rear,  and  when  it  was  brought  forward  towards  the  right 
of  the  deer  it  would  cause  the  animal  to  oblique  to  the  left 
and  vice  versa.     In  this  manner  they  proceeded  to  cross  tho 


184  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Watsok 

lake,  bringing  the  doe  in  front  of  the  rock  on  which  I  was 
seated ;  but  while  she  was  still  about  six  hundred  yards 
away  they  called  on  me  to  take  a  shot.  I  demurred  against 
their  request,  inasmuch  as  the  portion  of  the  animal  now 
visible  did  not  much  exceed  the  dimensions  of  a  pint  cup. 
The  first  ball  fired  fell  short  about  fifty  yards,  and  then 
ricochetted  nearly  across  the  lake.  Another  shot  was  fired 
with  no  better  result,  and  thus  I  continued  for  several 
minutes,  but  not  without  making  some  improvement.  The 
shots  were  pronounced  by  the  guides  to  be  accurate,  so  far 
as  the  line  of  the  target  was  concerned,  but  the  balls  still 
fell  short  of  the  mark. 

The  photographer,  who  was  absent  in  the  woods  when  I 
commenced  firing,  now  made  his  appearance,  and,  seizing 
the  Winchester  rifle,  began  to  compete  with  me.  He  was 
able  to  fire  two  shots  with  the  repeater  while  I  could  fire 
one  from  the  breech-loading  Ballard.  The  contest  between 
us  was  now  very  lively,  and  we  succeeded  in  persuading 
the  guides  to  bring  the  game  nearer  to  us,  so  that  the  ani- 
mal was  not  more  than  one  hundred  yards  from  the  muz- 
zles of  our  rifles.  The  bullets  now  fell  in  very  close  prox- 
ity  to  the  doe's  head ;  none  were  more  than  four  or  five 
inches  from  its  centre.  Six  or  eight  shots  have  been  fired 
with  this  degree  of  accuracy,  when  I  send  in  one  that 
breaks  the  skin  over  the  base  of  the  animal's  skull.  She 
dodges  her  head  downward,  but  quickly  brings  it  up  again, 
when  a  shot  from  Mildenberger  ends  this  trial  of  skill.  The 
guides  shout  aloud  and  lustily  cheer  the  photographer, 
who  proudly  puts  down  his  rifle  and  wipes  the  perspiration 
from  his  brow. 

[The  author  proceeds  to  give  a  series  of  interesting  accounts  of  moose- 
hunts,  somewhat  too  extended  for  the  space  we  can  give  him.  "We  shall 
therefore  close  with  an  amusing  incident,  in  which  "Jim,"  one  of  the 
guides,  and  his  dog  were  the  acting  characters.] 


Watson]  HUNTING  SCENES  IN  CANADIAN  WOODS.      185 

The  clouds  have  begun  to  disappear,  the  bright  rays  of 
sunshine  are  now  lighting  up  our  pathway,  while  the  gen- 
tle zephyrs  are  moving  the  foliage  of  the  forest-trees.  The 
prospects  of  a  fine  day's  sport  are  brightening  at  this  mo- 
ment. "Jim"  exclaims,  "We  will  have  a  good  day  of  it 
yet!"  while  at  the  same  time  a  partridge  rises  at  the  road- 
side, an  event  which  is  announced  to  us  by  the  barking  of 
the  cocker-spaniel.  This  dog  had  taken  his  position  at  the 
foot  of  a  small  tree,  the  branches  of  which  even  overhung 
the  roadway,  and  here  continued  to  bark  lustily,  thus 
keeping  the  attention  of  the  bird  until  the  lad  sent  up  his 
compliments,  which  she  promptly  acknowledged  by  tum- 
bling to  the  ground. 

The  killing  of  this  bird  gave  rise  to  a  highly  ludicrous 
scene,  which  I  fully  appreciated  at  the  time,  and  which  I 
can  never  readily  forget.  Jim  had  previously  told  me  that 
the  old  cocker-spaniel  had  a  very  bad  habit,  and  would 
"  mouth"  the  birds  whenever  he  could  get  hold  of  them, 
while  he  entirely  disregarded]  the  order  to  "  bring  dead 
bird."  The  owner  of  this  dog  had,  likewise,  informed  me 
that  the  animal  had  never  received  any  training,  but  natu- 
rally hunted  very  well,  and  was  a  good  "  treer."  The  in- 
stant the  lad  fired  at  this  bird,  Jim  sprang  into  the  woods 
with  the  alacrity  of  a  hound,  in  order  to  grab  the  falling 
partridge  before  the  old  cocker  could  get  hold  of  him. 

The  cocker,  however,  succeeded  in  getting  the  best  of 
Jim,  grabbed  the  bird  in  his  mouth,  and  started  off  at  full 
speed,  while  the  guide  followed  him  on  the  jump,  as  a  fox- 
hound might  follow  a  hare,  shouting,  with  every  bound, 
"  Stop !  stop !  drop  it !  drop  it !"  until  the  woods  became 
fairly  resonant  with  these  sounds.  A  few  seconds  later 
the  dog  emerged  from  the  woods,  still  clinging  to  the  bird, 
closely  followed  by  the  irate  guide,  who  still  yelled  as 
though  his  life  depended  on  this  effort. 


186  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Watsoit 

Here  the  old  dog  made  the  fatal  mistake  which  finally 
cost  him  the  prize  he  had  attempted  to  steal.  He  started 
down  the  road  as  rapidly  as  he  could  run,  but  Jim  steadily 
gained  ground  on  him.  Jim  was  wearing  on  this  occasion 
a  pair  of  heavy  leather  brogans,  which  contained  in  the 
soles  about  fifty  steel  spikes.  These  shoes,  in  fact,  were 
procured  by  him  while  he  was  engaged  in  that  occupation 
commonly  designated  as  "  river-driving,"  and  these  spikes 
were  intended  to  nail  him  firmly  to  the  floating  logs,  and 
thus  prevent  accident  or  injury  from  slipping.  The  road 
on  which  this  race  between  the  old  cocker  and  our  guide 
took  place  was  nearly  a  mass  of  rocks,  generally  flat  on  the 
upper  surface,  which  formed  the  road-bed,  although  they 
possessed  many  irregularities  of  surface,  size,  etc.  The 
moment  the  guide  and  dog  emerged  from  the  woods  and 
started  off"  on  this  road,  they  were  in  full  view  of  both  my 
son  and  myself.  The  sparks  eliminated  by  the  contact  of 
the  spikes  in  Jim's  brogans  with  the  rocks  in  his  pathway 
lighted  up  his  trail,  and  added  greatly  to  the  ludicrousness 
of  the  scene.  The  race  may  be  fairly  said  to  have  been  nip 
and  tuck,  but  the  guide  was  slowly  gaining  on  the  cocker. 

They  had  run  about  ten  rods  when  Jim's  brogans  were 
in  close  proximity  to  the  old  dog's  tail.  It  seemed  highly 
probable  at  this  moment  that  the  guide's  spiked  shoes 
would  be  used  as  a  petard  for  the  destruction  of  the  fugi- 
tive thief;  but  no,  he  has  determined  to  capture  him  alive. 

Behold  them  at  this  moment !  Jim  has  dropped,  with 
the  intention  of  seizing  the  old  rascal  with  his  hands.  The 
old  dog — as  if  anticipating  this  movement — has  suddenly 
jumped  to  one  side,  and  instantly  turned  to  retrace  his 
steps.  Jim  struck  the  ground  with  a  heavy  thud,  but  was 
neither  killed  nor  severely  injured  by  this  manoeuvre.  The 
dog,  however,  in  the  mean  time,  had  been  rapidly  gaining 
on   the  guide,  and   was  well   started   on   the   homeward 


Watson]  HUNTING  SCENES  IN  CANADIAN  WOODS.      187 

stretch.  He  occasionally  turned  his  head,  in  order  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  his  pursuer,  but  he  did  not  halt,  nor 
even  slacken  his  pace. 

Jim  was  soon  on  his  feet  again,  but  not  until  the  dog  had 
secured  a  good  start.  The  guide  was  maddened  by  failure, 
and  resumed  the  race  with  a  fierce  determination  to  win. 
Every  second  shortened  the  distance  between  the  contest- 
ants when  Jim  had  fairly  succeeded  in  getting  under  way. 
The  old  dog  seemed  to  fully  comprehend  the  gravity  of  the 
situation,  and  occasionally  turned  his  head  for  the  purpose 
of  discovering  and  estimating  his  danger.  He  had  passed 
safely  one-half  of  the  home-stretch,  but  was  at  this  moment 
compelled  to  drop  the  bird  from  his  mouth.  Jim  was  at 
this  moment  close  upon  the  dog's  heels,  but  he  heeded  not 
the  dead  bird,  and  was  evidently  determined  to  punish  the 
thief  The  old  cocker  showed  at  this  time  unmistakable 
signs  of  exhaustion  ind  fear,  and  was  unquestionably  re- 
pentant. Jim's  brogans  were  once  more  at  the  dog's  caudal 
extremity,  when  he  suddenly  dodged  aside  and  endeavored 
to  reach  the  cover  of  the  woods ;  but  he  was  too  completely 
exhausted  to  accomplish  this  object.  He  dropped  to  the 
ground  and  looked  imploringly  into  Jim's  eyes  for  mercy ; 
but  Jim  heeded  not  the  imploring  looks  and  cringing  atti- 
tude of  the  old  rascal.  He  had  him  by  the  nape  of  the 
neck,  and  promptly  administered  the  well-raerited  punish- 
ment. The  old  dog  fairly  yelled  with  pain,  and  Jim  yelled 
back  to  him,  "  Steal  the  boy's  bird,  will  you  ?  I  will  teach 
you  honesty !     I  will,  you  old  rascal !" 

The  whole  scene  had  been  watched  by  the  boy  and  my- 
self The  comical  part  played  by  the  actors  can  be  more 
easily  imagined  than  described.  It  caused  peal  after  peal 
of  laughter  from  the  boy  and  myself  The  boy  finally 
dropped  down  upon  the  ground  before  the  race  ended, 
having  been  so  convulsed  with  laughter  as  to  be  unable  to 


188  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Watbon 

Btand  erect,  while  I  only  remained  standing  until  the  race 
ended,  and  then  followed  my  son's  example,  Jim  having 
administered  the  necessary  chastisement  to  the  dog,  like- 
wise sought  rest  on  the  bosom  of  mother-earth,  while  the 
old  cocker,  after  having  sulked  a  few  moments  in  the 
woods,  came  sneakingly  out  and  cautiously  approached 
the  contestant  in  the  race,  licked  affectionately  his  hand, 
and  then  looked  imploringly  up  into  his  eyes.  The  dog 
having  thus  humbly  acknowledged  the  justice  of  the  pun- 
ishment which  had  been  inflicted  on  him,  was  then  freely 
forgiven  by  Jim,  who  patted  him  affectionately  on  the  head 
and  back. 

Thus  there  was  perfect  harmony  between  the  guide  and 
the  spaniel.  The  dog  immediately  reclined  at  Jim's  side, 
placed  his  head  affectionately  on  his  master,  having  as- 
sumed a  position  which  enabled  him  to  look  wistfully  into 
the  latter's  face.  Our  little  mongrel  dog  had  not  remained 
entirely  inactive  during  these  exciting  events.  In  the  race 
he  participated,  though  falling  far  behind  both  actors ; 
nevertheless  he  barked  and  wagged  his  tail  continuously, 
thus  showing  the  joy  and  interest  which  he  felt  in  this  part 
of  the  proceedings,  although  when  the  chastisement  com- 
menced he  drew  his  tail  between  his  legs,  suddenly  disap- 
peared in  the  woods,  and  only  reappeared  after  the  lapse 
of  an  hour. 

[Shortly  after  they  started  again  the  boy  brought  down  another 
bird,  whose  presence  had  been  announced  by  the  cocker-spaniel.] 

The  old  dog  made  no  attempt  on  this  occasion  to  secure 
the  bird  when  it  fell  to  the  ground,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
did  not  move  from  the  spot  where  he  was  standing,  and 
allowed  the  guide  to  approach  quietly  the  dead  bird  and  to 
pocket  the  same.  In  fact,  it  may  be  stated  that  we  had  no 
further  trouble  with  this  dog  during  the  remainder  of  the 


Bryant]     THE  GRAND  FALLS  OF  LABRADOR.  189 

hunt.  He  had  previously  shown  much  affection  for  Jim ; 
but  after  the  chase  and  the  chastisement  which  he  received 
he  was  certainly  doubly  affectionate  towards  his  master. 
He  had  always  hunted  faithfully  for  us,  but  during  the 
balance  of  the  day  he  seemed  to  be  more  than  usually 
active,  and  found  many  birds  by  the  roadside. 


THE  GRAND  FALLS  OF  LABRADOR. 

HENRY  G.  BRYANT. 

[The  discovery  of  America  has  not  yet  been  completed.  Certainly 
that  of  its  Canadian  section  has  not  been.  There  are  wide  districts  of 
that  great  area  on  which  human  foot  has  never  been  set,  and  as  late 
as  1895  we  were  advised  of  the  discovery  of  a  great  river,  with  its 
head-waters  near  those  of  the  Ottawa,  but  previously  unsuspected. 
Labrador  has  been  but  little  traversed,  and  the  Grand  Falls  had  only 
been  seen  by  two  white  men  previously  to  Mr.  Bryant's  visit  in  the 
summer  of  1891.  "What  we  know  of  it,  and  of  the  course  of  the 
Grand,  or  Hamilton  River,  we  owe  chiefly  to  him,  since  the  only 
earlier  account  is  the  imperfect  one  given  by  John  McLean,  describing 
his  visit  in  1839.  The  enterprise  was  not  an  easy  one,  as  will  appear 
from  the  description  of  the  hardships  of  the  journey.  The  party  con- 
sisted of  Mr.  Bryant,  of  Philadelphia,  Professor  Kenaston,  of  Wash- 
ington, John  Montague,  a  young  Scotchman,  and  Geoifrey  Ban,  an 
Eskimo,  the  last  two  hailing  from  Labrador.  These  four  had  to  drag 
a  heavy  boat  against  a  swift  current  for  many  miles  up  the  stream,  in 
the  manner  described  below.  ] 

The  usual  method  employed  was  what  is  technically 
known  as  "tracking."  That  is,  a  strong  rope,  about  the 
thickness  of  a  clothes-line,  was  tied  to  the  gunwale  of  the 
boat  just  aft  of  the  bow.  To  the  shore  end  of  this  broad 
leather  straps  were  attached.  With  these  across  their 
shoulders,  three  of  the  party  tugged  away  along  the  rocky 
bank,  while  number  four  of  our  crew,  with  an  oar  lashed 


190  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bbtant 

in  the  stern,  steered  a  devious  course  among  the  rocks  and 
shallows  of  the  river.  The  "tow-path"  in  this  instance 
was  of  the  roughest  and  most  diversified  character.  Sandy 
terraces  and  extended  reaches  covered  with  glacial  boul- 
ders characterized  the  lower  portion  of  the  river,  while 
farther  up-stream  great  numbers  of  smaller  boulders,  in- 
securely lodged  on  the  precipitous  sandy  banks,  would 
baffle  us  by  the  precarious  footing  they  afforded.  Where 
a  combination  of  this  "rubble"  and  a  troublesome  rapid 
occurred,  it  was  only  by  the  most  violent  exertion  and  no 
end  of  slipping  and  sliding  that  the  tension  of  the  tow-line 
could  be  maintained  on  the  treacherous  ground.  Then, 
again,  stretches  of  steep  rocky  bank,  where  no  tracking 
was  possible,  would  often  compel  us  to  scale  the  rugged 
cliflfe  and  pass  the  line  from  one  to  another  over  various 
obstacles.  Wading  through  the  water  was  frequently  the 
only  resource.  This  was  always  the  case  when  we  reached 
a  place  in  the  river  where  the  spring  freshets  had  under- 
mined the  banks,  and  where  numbers  of  trees,  stumps,  and 
underbrush  littered  the  shore,  forming  chevaux-de-friseo£ 
the  most  formidable  character. 

The  long  daylight  of  midsummer  in  this  subarctic  region 
was  a  point  in  our  favor,  enabling  us  to  work  to  the  limit 
of  our  strength.  Here,  indeed,  we  found  that  "  Night  and 
day  hold  each  other's  hands  upon  the  hill-tops.  .  .  .  No 
sooner  does  the  sun  set  north  by  west,  than,  like  a  giant 
refreshed,  it  rises  again  north  by  east." 

[At  times  they  had  to  drag  the  boat  up  rapids,  at  times  to  unload 
and  transport  it  and  its  contents  around  falls  by  difficult  portages. 
Through  much  of  the  course  the  stream  ran  at  about  eight  miles  an 
hour,  but  many  rapids  added  to  this  speed.] 

Judged  by  ordinary  standards  of  travel,  our  advance  up 
the  river  was  slow  indeed ;  but  to  those  who  are  familiar 


Bryant]     THE  GRAND  FALLS  OF  LABRADOR.  191 

with  canoe  transportation  on  Canadian  rivers,  I  am  sure 
our  progress  will  appear  respectable,  when  the  unwieldy 
character  of  our  boat  is  taken  into  consideration.  There 
seems  to  be  something  positively  personal  and  vindictive 
in  the  resistance  which  rapids  make  to  a  traveller's  ad- 
vance into  a  wild  and  mountainous  country.  There  was, 
accordingly,  a  cumulative  feeling  of  satisfaction  as  one 
after  another  of  these  barriers  of  nature's  making  were 
surmounted.  In  the  swollen  condition  of  the  river,  the 
struggle  with  these  wild  rapids  was  often  as  savage  and 
exhilarating  as  one  could  desire.  John  and  myself  usually 
took  the  lead  on  the  tow-line,  Geoffrey  busying  himself 
with  keeping  the  line  clear  of  snags,  while  to  Professor 
Kenaston  was  assigned  the  steersman's  part.  Bending  to 
their  work,  the  linemen  would  clamber  along  the  bank, 
dragging  the  slowly  yielding  mass  up-stream.  Ofttimes 
the  force  of  the  current  would  carry  out  the  boat  far  into 
mid-stream,  until  the  full  length  of  line  would  be  ex- 
hausted. We  could  do  nothing  then  but  hang  on  like  grim 
death  and  watch  our  craft  toss  and  roll  amid  the  billows, 
until,  like  a  spirited  horse,  gradually  yielding  to  the  strain, 
she  would  turn  her  head  shoreward.  Professor  Kenaston, 
meanwhile,  with  tense  muscles,  bending  to  the  steering-oar, 
skilfully  guided  his  charge  amid  the  encompassing  rocks 
and  eddies, — the  only  quiet  figure  on  the  surging  flood  of 
the  river.  .  .  . 

Looking  back  on  these  days  spent  along  the  river,  I 
recall  how  each  one  was  filled  with  incident  and  how  all 
were  stimulated  by  the  uncertainty  of  what  lay  before  us. 
It  is  the  experience  of  many  that,  in  recalling  travels  of 
this  kind,  the  pleasant  features  of  the  time  are  remembered 
with  more  distinctness  than  the  trying  ones.  So  in  the 
retrospect  of  this  journey,  many  of  the  incidents,  unpleas- 
ant at  the  time,  are  softened  by  time's  perspective,  while 


192  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Brtant 

the  bright  ones  stand  out  in  bolder  relief  and  recur  to  the 
memory  with  pleasure.  One  awkward  adventure,  however, 
which  occurred  on  the  first  day  on  the  Mouni  Rapids,  I 
have  not  yet  succeeded  in  relegating  to  the  realm  of  forget- 
fulness.  We  were  approaching  a  rocky  point,  similar  to 
many  others  we  had  encountered,  past  which  the  water 
dashed  with  angry  violence.  It  was  our  custom,  on  reach- 
ing such  a  place,  to  first  detach  the  canoe,  and  then  to  shove 
out  the  boat  obliquely  from  the  still  water,  to  allow  her 
bow  to  fairly  meet  the  swifter  current.  On  this  occasion, 
while  Montague  and  I,  facing  up-stream,  were  waiting 
on  the  bank  above  for  the  signal  to  advance,  the  boat, 
through  some  carelessness,  was  pushed  out  from  the  quiet 
eddy  squarely  into  the  swift  water.  The  full  force  of  the 
torrent  struck  her  abeam,  and  away  she  swept  down- 
stream like  a  thing  possessed.  Taken  unawares,  no  time 
was  given  to  throw  off  the  leather  straps  from  our  shoul- 
ders, and  instantly  we  were  thrown  from  our  feet  and 
dragged  over  the  rocks  into  the  river  by  the  merciless 
strength  of  the  flood.  Most  fortunately  for  me,  the  circu- 
lar strap  slipped  over  my  head  as  I  was  being  dragged 
through  the  water.  Montague's  also  released  itself,  and 
the  runaway  sped  down-stream  a  quarter  of  a  mile  before 
stopping.  On  clambering  up  the  bank  I  found  Montague 
stunned  and  bleeding  from  a  scalp  wound.  Aside  from 
some  abrasions  of  the  skin,  I  was  none  the  worse  for  the 
shaking  up,  and  after  a  brief  delay  Montague  revived,  and 
we  resumed  our  "  tow-path"  exercise. 

[The  climate  did  not  prove  as  severe  as  was  expected,  the  tempera- 
ture being  just  low  enough  to  be  exhilarating  and  bracing.  Grame  and 
fish  were  abundant,  and  two  black  bears  were  killed  by  the  party.] 

The  declining  sun  of  August  20  beheld  our  small  craft 
glide  into  the  smooth  waters  of  Lake  Wanakopow.     The 


Briant]     the  grand  falls  OF  LABRADOR.  193 

first  view  of  the  lake  was  beautiful,  and  most  grateful  to 
our  eyes  after  the  long  struggle  with  the  rapids.  Even 
Geoffrey  and  John,  usually  indifferent  to  scenic  effects, 
could  not  conceal  their  admiration  as  we  glided  by  tower- 
ing cliffs  and  wooded  headlands,  and  beheld  at  intervals 
cascades  leaping  from  the  rocks  into  the  lake,  their  silvery 
outlines  glistening  in  the  sun  and  contrasting  distinctly 
with  the  environment  of  dark  evergreen  foliage.  This 
romantic  sheet  of  water  stretches  in  a  northeasterly  and 
southwesterly  direction  a  distance  of  about  thirty-five 
miles,  and  has  an  elevation  above  sea-level,  according  to 
my  aneroid  observations,  of  four  hundred  and  sixty-two 
feet.  Low  mountains  of  granite  and  gneiss  rise  on  both 
sides,  and  the  average  width  of  the  lake  is  less  than  one 
mile,  A  sounding  taken  near  the  middle  showed  a  depth 
of  four  hundred  and  six  feet.  This  narrow  elevated  basin 
is  probably  of  glacial  origin,  the  presence  of  great  numbers 
of  boulders  and  the  rounded  appearance  of  the  hill  sum- 
mits pointing  to  a  period  of  ice  movement. 

[They  finally  reached  a  point  beyond  the  previously  stated  location 
of  the  falls,  and  on  August  27  attained  the  head  of  boat  navigation 
in  a  wide,  shallow  rapid.] 

While  at  the  Northwest  River  Post  we  had  learned  from 

a  reliable  Indian  that  the  old  trail,  long  disused,  led  from 

this  point  on  the  river  to  a  chain  of  lakes  on  the  table-land. 

By  following  these   lakes  and   crossing   the   intervening 

"  carries,"  the  rapid  water  which  extends  for  fifteen  miles 

below  the  Falls  could  be  circumvented,  and  the  traveller 

brought  finally  to  the  waters  of  the  Grand  River,  many 

miles  above  the  Grand  Falls.     Our  plan  was  to  follow  this 

old  trail  for  several  days,  and   then  to   leave  the  canoe 

and  strike  across  country  in  a  direction  which  we  hoped 

would  bring  us  again  to  the  river  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Falls. 
Vol.  I — 13 


194  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bryant 

It  was  deemed  best  to  follow  this  circuitous  canoe  route 
rather  than  to  attempt  to  follow  the  banks  of  the  river  on 
foot,  in  which  case  everything  would  have  to  be  carried  on 
our  backs  through  dense  forests  for  many  miles. 

After  a  long  search  the  old  trail  was  found,  and,  leaving 
Geoffrey  in  charge  of  the  main  camp  on  the  river,  the  other 
members  of  the  party  took  the  canoe  and  a  week's  pro- 
visions, and  began  the  ascent  of  the  steep  path  which  led 
up  to  the  edge  of  the  elevated  plateau,  which  here  ap- 
proaches the  river.  Making  a  "  carry"  of  three  miles  to 
the  north  along  the  old  trail,  we  reached  the  first  of  the 
chain  of  lakes,  where  we  erected  a  rude  shelter  and  camped 
for  the  night.  A  violent  storm  arose  during  the  night,  and 
next  day  we  lost  much  time  in  seeking  for  the  continua- 
tion of  the  trail  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  lake.  Having 
been  disused  for  twenty-seven  years,  the  path,  where  it 
came  out  on  the  lake-shore,  was  distinguished  by  no 
"  blazes"  on  the  trees,  or  recent  choppings.  This  necessi- 
tated a  careful  examination  of  the  shores  on  all  the  lakes, 
and  caused  considerable  delay. 

We  were  now  on  the  great  table-land  of  the  Labrador 
interior,  and,  wishing  to  get  a  good  outlook,  climbed  a 
conspicuous  hill  near  by  to  scan  the  adjacent  country. 
A  view  truly  strange  and  impressive  was  before  us.  As 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach  extended  an  undulating  country, 
sparsely  covered  with  stunted  spruce-trees,  among  which 
great  weather-worn  rocks  gleamed,  while  on  all  sides 
white  patches  of  caribou  moss  gave  a  snowy  effect  to  the 
scene.  A  hundred  shallow  lakes  reflected  the  fleeting 
clouds  above,  their  banks  lined  with  boulders,  and  present- 
ing a  labyrinth  of  channels  and  island  passages.  Low 
hills  arose  at  intervals  among  the  bogs  and  lakes,  but  the 
general  effect  of  the  landscape  was  that  of  flatness  and 
bleak  monotony. 


Bryant]     THE  GRAND  FALLS  OF  LABRADOR.  195 

The  continuation  of  the  old  Nascopie  trail  remaining  in- 
visible, to  escape  the  discomfort  of  another  rainy  night 
on  the  plateau  we  returned  to  the  shelter  of  the  camp  on 
the  river.  On  August  30  we  returned  to  Geoffrey  Lake, 
where  our  patient  search  for  the  trail  was  at  last  suc- 
cessful. 

Next  day  we  advanced  along  the  trail,  which  led  us  over 
four  "  carries"  and  across  five  lakes.  For  convenience  of 
reference,  we  applied  names  to  some  of  these  small  sheets 
of  water.  Thus,  the  third  one  of  the  chain  was  designated 
"  Gentian  Lake,"  from  finding  the  closed  variety  of  the 
blue  gentian  growing  on  its  borders.  The  next  day  we 
turned  aside  from  the  dim  trail  and  paddled  to  the  north- 
western extremity  of  the  sixth  lake,  where  we  drew  the 
canoe  ashore  and  prepared  for  the  tramp  across  country. 
Arrayed  in  heavy  marching  order,  and  carrying  nearly  all 
that  remained  of  our  provisions,  we  were  soon  advancing 
westward  on  a  course  which  we  hoped  would  soon  bring 
us  to  the  river  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Falls.  The  country 
we  were  now  passing  through  was  of  the  most  desolate 
character,  denuded  of  trees  and  the  surface  covered  with 
caribou  moss,  Labrador  tea  plants,  blueberry-bushes,  and 
thousands  of  boulders.  By  keeping  to  the  ridges  fair 
progress  was  made ;  but  when  compelled  to  leave  the  higher 
ground  and  skirt  the  borders  of  the  lakes,  dense  thickets 
of  alders  and  willows  were  encountered,  and  these  greatly 
impeded  our  advance.  Language  seems  inadequate  to 
describe  the  desolation  of  this  upland  landscape.  No  living 
thing  was  encountered,  and  the  silence  of  primordial  time 
reigned  supreme. 

Just  before  sunset  we  went  into  camp  on  a  hill-side  near 
a  large  lake,  and  soon  after,  from  the  top  of  a  high  rock, 
beheld  a  great  column  of  mist  rising  like  smoke  against 
the  western  sky.     This  we  knew  marked  the  position  of 


196  WORLD'S  ORE  AT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bryant 

the  Falls,  and,  needless  to  say,  our  spirits  rose — oblivious 
of  our  bleak  surroundings — as  we  contemplated  the  near 
attainment  of  our  journey's  end.  During  the  night  the 
thermometer  registered  a  minimum  temperature  of  forty- 
one  degrees,  and  we  were  treated  to  a  superb  display  of 
Northern  Lights. 

September  2  was  a  day  memorable  as  marking  the  date 
of  our  arrival  at  the  Grand  Falls.  A  rough  march  over 
the  rocks  and  bogs  intervened,  however,  before  we  reached 
this  goal.  As  we  approached  the  river,  spruce- forests  of  a 
heavier  growth  appeared,  and,  pressing  on  through  these, 
although  we  could  no  longer  see  the  overhanging  mist,  the 
deep  roar  of  falling  waters  was  borne  to  our  ears  with 
growing  distinctness.  After  what  seemed  an  intolerable 
length  of  time — so  great  was  our  eagerness — a  space  of 
light  in  the  trees  ahead  made  known  the  presence  of  the 
river.  Quickening  our  steps,  we  pushed  on,  and  with  beat- 
ing hearts  emei'ged  from  the  forest  near  the  spot  where 
the  river  plunged  into  the  chasm  with  a  deafening  roar. 

A  single  glance  showed  us  that  we  had  before  us  one  of  the 
greatest  waterfalls  in  the  world.  Standing  at  the  rocky 
brink  of  the  chasm,  a  wild  and  tumultuous  scene  lay  before 
us,  a  scene  possessing  elements  of  sublimity  and  with 
details  not  to  be  apprehended  in  the  first  moments  of 
wondering  contemplation.  Far  up-stream  one  beheld  the 
surging,  fleecy  waters  and  tempestuous  billows,  dashing 
high  their  crests  of  foam,  all  forced  onward  with  resistless 
power  towards  the  steep  rock  whence  they  took  their  wild 
leap  into  the  deep  pool  below.  Turning  to  the  very  brink 
and  looking  over,  we  gazed  into  a  world  of  mists  and  mighty 
reverberations.  Here  the  exquisite  colors  of  the  rainbow 
fascinated  the  eye,  and  majestic  sounds  of  falling  waters 
continued  the  paean  of  the  ages.  Below  and  beyond  the 
seething  caldron  the  river  appeared,  pursuing  its  turbulent 


Bryant]     THE  GRAND  FALLS  OF  LABRADOR.  197 

career,  past  frowning  cliffs  and  over  miles  of  rapids,  where 
it  heard  ''  no  sound  save  its  own  dashings."  The  babel  of 
waters  made  conversation  a  matter  of  difliculty,  and  after  a 
mute  exchange  of  congratulations,  we  turned  our  attention 
to  examining  the  river  in  detail  above  and  below  the  Falls. 

A  mile  above  the  main  leap  the  river  is  a  noble  stream 
four  hundred  yards  wide,  already  flowing  at  an  accelerated 
speed.  Four  rapids,  marking  successive  depressions  in  the 
river-bed,  intervene  between  this  point  and  the  Falls.  At 
the  first  rapid  the  width  of  the  stream  is  nsot  more  than  one 
hundred  and  seventy-five  yards,  and  from  thence  rapidly 
contracts  until  reaching  a  point  above  the  escarpment 
proper,  where  the  entire  column  of  fleecy  water  is  com- 
pressed within  rocky  banks  not  more  than  fifty  yards  apart. 

Here  the  eff'ect  of  resistless  power  is  extremely  fine. 
The  maddened  waters,  sweeping  downward  with  terrific 
force,  rise  in  great  surging  billows  high  above  the  encom- 
passing banks  ere  they  finally  hurl  themselves  into  the  gulf 
below.  A  great  pillar  of  mist  rises  from  the  spot,  and 
numerous  rainbows  span  the  watery  abyss,  constantly 
forming  and  disappearing  amid  the  clouds  of  spray.  An 
immense  volume  of  water  precipitates  itself  over  the 
rocky  ledge,  and  under  favorable  conditions  the  roar  of  the 
cataract  can  be  heard  for  twenty  miles.  Below  the  Falls, 
the  river,  turning  to  the  southeast,  pursues  its  maddened 
career  for  twenty-five  miles  shut  in  by  vertical  cliff's  of 
gneissic  rock,  w^hich  rises  in  places  to  a  height  of  four  hun- 
dred feet.  The  rocky  banks  above  and  below  the  Falls  are 
thickly  wooded  with  firs  and  spruces,  among  which  the 
graceful  form  of  the  white  birch  appears  in  places. 

[The  Falls  were  photographed  from  several  points  of  view,  and  care- 
fully measured,  the  vertical  descent  proving  to  be  over  three  hundred 
feet,  while  the  chute  or  rapid  at  their  head  made  a  farther  descent  of 
thirty-two  feet.] 


198  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bryant 

The  deep,  incessant  roar  of  the  cataract  that  night  was 
our  lullaby  as,  stretched  out  under  a  rough  "  barricade," 
we  glided  into  that  realm  of  forgetfulness  where  even  sur- 
roundings strange  as  ours  counted  as  naught. 

By  the  morning  light  we  again  viewed  the  wonders  of 
the  place,  and  sought  for  some  sign  of  the  presence  of  bird 
or  animal  in  the  vicinity  ;  but  not  a  track  or  the  glint  of  a 
bird's  wing  rewarded  our  quest,  and  this  avoidance  of  the 
place  by  the  wild  creatures  of  the  forest  seemed  to  add  a 
new  element  of  severity  to  the  eternal  loneliness  of  the 
spot. 

The  Grand  Falls  of  Labrador,  with  their  grim  environ- 
ment of  time-worn,  archaic  rocks,  are  one  of  the  scenic 
wonders  of  this  Western  world,  and  if  nearer  civilization, 
would  be  visited  by  thousands  of  travellers  every  year. 
They  are  nearly  twice  as  high  as  Niagara,  and  are  only 
inferior  to  that  marvellous  cataract  in  breadth  and  volume 
of  water.  One  of  their  most  striking  characteristics  is  the 
astonishing  leap  into  space  which  the  torrent  makes  in  dis- 
charging itself  over  its  rockj^  barrier.  From  the  descrip- 
tion given  of  the  rapid  drop  in  the  river-bed  and  concident 
narrowing  of  the  channel,  one  can  easily  understand  that 
the  cumulative  energy  expended  in  this  final  leap  of  the 
pent-up  waters  is  truly  titanic. 

If  a  substratum  of  softer  rock  existed  here,  as  at  Ni- 
agara, a  similar  "  Cave  of  the  Winds"  would  enable  one  to 
penetrate  a  considerable  distance  beneath  the  fall.  The 
uniform  structure  of  the  rock,  however,  prevents  any  un- 
equal disintegration,  and  thus  the  overarching  sheet  of 
water  covers  a  nearly  perpendicular  wall,  the  base  of  which 
is  washed  by  the  waters  of  the  lower  river.  In  spite  of 
the  fact  that  no  creature,  except  one  with  wings,  could 
hope  to  penetrate  this  subaqueous  chamber,  the  place  is 
inhabited,  if  we  are  to  believe  the  traditions  of  the  Lab- 


Bbtant]     the  grand  FALLS  OF  LABRADOR.  199 

rador  Indians.  Many  years  ago,  so  runs  the  tale,  two 
Indian  maidens,  gathering  firewood  near  the  Falls,  were 
enticed  to  the  brink  and  drawn  over  by  the  evil  spirit  of 
the  place.  During  the  long  years  since  then,  these  unfor- 
tunates have  been  condemned  to  dwell  beneath  the  fall 
and  forced  to  toil  daily  dressing  deer-skins ;  until  now,  uo 
longer  young  and  beautiful,  they  can  be  seen  betimes 
through  the  mist,  trailing  their  white  hair  behind  them 
and  stretching  out  shrivelled  arms  towards  any  mortal  who 
ventures  to  visit  the  confines  of  their  mystic  dwelling- 
place. 

The  Indian  name  for  the  Grand  Falls — Pat-ses-che-wan 
— means  "The  Narrow  Place  where  the  Water  Falls." 
Like  the  native  word  Niagara, — "  Thunder  of  Waters," — 
this  Indian  designation  contains  a  poetic  and  descriptive 
quality  which  it  would  be  hard  to  improve. 

From  the  point  where  the  river  leaves  the  plateau  and 
plunges  into  the  deep  pool  below  the  Falls,  its  course  for 
fifteen  miles  is  through  one  of  the  most  remarkable  canons 
in  the  world.  From  the  appearance  of  the  sides  of  this 
gorge,  and  the  zigzag  line  of  the  river,  the  indications  are 
that  the  stream  has  slowly  forced  its  way  through  this 
rocky  chasm,  cutting  its  way  back,  foot  by  foot,  from  the 
edge  of  the  plateau  to  the  present  position  of  the  Falls. 
Recent  investigators  estimate  that  a  period  of  six  thousand 
years  was  required  to  form  the  gorge  below  Niagara  Falls ; 
or,  in  other  words,  that  it  has  taken  that  time  for  the  Falls 
to  recede  from  their  former  position  at  Queenstown  Heights 
to  their  present  location.  If  it  has  taken  this  length  of 
time  for  the  Niagara  Falls  to  make  their  way  back  a  dis- 
tance of  seven  miles  by  the  erosive  power  of  the  water 
acting  on  a  soft  shale  rock  supporting  a  stratum  of  lime- 
stone, the  immensity  of  time  involved  by  assuming  that 
the  Grand  Eiver  canon  was  formed  in  the  same  way  is  so 


200  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Parry 

great  that  the  mind  falters  in  contemplating  it,  especially 
when  it  is  recognized  that  the  escarpment  of  the  Labrador 
Falls  is  of  hard  gneissic  rock.  And  yet  no  other  explana- 
tion of  the  origin  of  this  gorge  is  acceptable,  unless,  indeed, 
we  can  assume  that  at  some  former  time  a  fissure  occurred 
in  the  earth's  crust  as  a  result  of  igneous  agencies,  and 
that  this  fissure  ran  in  a  line  identical  with  the  present 
course  of  the  river;  in  which  case  the  drainage  of  the 
table-land,  collecting  into  the  Grand  Eiver,  would  follow 
the  line  of  least  resistance,  and  in  the  course  of  time  ex- 
cavate the  fissure  into  the  present  proportions  of  the  gorge. 


LIFE  AMONG  THE  ESQUIMAUX. 

WILLIAM   EDWARD    PARRY, 

[The  attempt  to  find  a  northwest  passage  from  the  Atlantic  to  the 
Pacific,  by  which  commerce  might  make  its  way  round  the  continent 
of  North  America,  occupied  the  attention  of  navigators  from  the  voy- 
age of  Henry  Hudson,  in  1610,  to  that  of  McClure,  in  1850 ;  the  lat- 
ter proving  that  such  a  passage  existed,  but  that  it  was  impracticable 
for  commerce.  Among  those  engaged  in  this  enterprise  one  of  the 
most  notable  was  Captain  Parry,  from  whose  interesting  journal  of  his 
voyage  (1821-25)  the  following  selection  is  taken,  descriptive  of  expe- 
riences at  Gore  Bay,  where  the  ships  of  the  expedition  had  lain  all 
winter  in  the  ice.] 

On  the  2d  of  April  a  thin  sheet  of  bay-ice  several  miles 
square  had  formed  on  the  sea  to  the  eastward  and  south- 
ward, where  for  two  or  three  days  past  there  had  been  a 
space  of  open  water.  This  was  occasioned  more  by  the 
wind  remaining  very  moderate  and  the  neap  tides  occur- 
ring about  this  time  than  from  any  great  degree  of  cold, 
the  thermometer  seldom  falling  below  — 6°  or  — 7°.    The 


Parbt]  life  among   THE  ESQUIMAUX.  201 

wind,  however,  settling  in  the  southeast  to-day,  the  main 
body  of  ice,  which  had  been  scarcely  visible  in  the  offing, 
soon  began  to  move  inshore,  forcing  before  it  the  young 
floe  and  squeezing  it  up  into  innumerable  hummocks, 
which  presently,  being  cemented  together  by  a  fresh  for- 
mation in  their  interstices,  constituted  an  example  of  one  of 
the  ways  in  which  these  "  hummocky  floes"  are  produced, 
of  which  I  have  before  so  often  had  occasion  to  speak. 
We  were  always  glad  to  see  this  squeezing  process  take 
place  while  the  ice  was  still  thin  enough  to  admit  of  it,  as 
it  thus  became  compressed  perhaps  into  one-fiftieth  part  of 
the  compass  that  it  would  otherwise  have  occupied,  and 
of  course  left  so  much  the  more  open  space  upon  the  surface 
of  the  sea.  The  temperature  of  the  water  at  the  bottom 
in  eight  fathoms  was  to-day  28°,  being  the  same  as  that  of 
the  surface. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  Esquimaux  had  been  observed 
in  motion  at  the  huts,  and  several  sledges  drawn  by  dogs 
and  heavily  laden  went  off  to  the  westward.  On  going  out 
to  the  village,  we  found  one-half  of  the  people  had  quitted 
their  late  habitations,  taking  with  them  every  article  of 
their  property,  and  had  gone  over  the  ice,  we  knew  not 
where,  in  quest  of  more  abundant  food.  The  wretched 
appearance  which  the  interior  of  the  huts  now  presented 
baffles  all  description.  In  each  of  the  larger  ones  some  of 
the  apartments  were  either  wholly  or  in  part  deserted,  the 
very  snow  which  composed  the  beds  and  fireplaces  having 
been  turned  up,  so  that  no  article  might  be  left  behind. 
Even  the  bare  walls,  whose  original  color  was  scarcely  per- 
ceptible for  black,  blood,  and  other  filth,  were  not  left  per- 
fect, large  holes  having  been  made  in  the  sides  and  roofs 
for  the  convenience  of  handing  out  the  goods  and  chattels. 
The  sight  of  a  deserted  habitation  is  at  all  times  calculated 
to  excite  in  the  mind  a  sensation  of  dreariness  and  desola- 


202  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Pabbt 

tion,  especially  when  we  have  lately  seen  it  filled  with 
cheerful  inhabitants  ;  but  the  feeling  is  even  heightened 
rather  than  diminished  when  a  small  portion  of  these  in- 
habitants remain  behind  to  endure  the  wretchedness  which 
such  a  scene  exhibits.  This  was  now  the  case  at  the  vil- 
lage, where,  though  the  remaining  tenants  of  each  hut  had 
combined  to  occupy  one  of  the  apartments,  a  great  part 
of  the  bed-places  were  still  bare,  with  the  wind  and  drift 
blowing  in  through  the  holes  which  they  had  not  yet  taken 
the  trouble  to  stop  up.  The  old  man  Hikkeeira  and  his 
wife  occupied  a  hut  by  themselves,  without  any  lamp  or  a 
single  ounce  of  meat  belonging  to  them,  while  three  small 
skins,  on  which  the  former  was  lying,  were  all  that  they 
possessed  in  the  way  of  blankets.  Upon  the  whole,  I 
never  ^beheld  a  more  miserable  spectacle,  and  it  seemed 
a  charity  to  hope  that  a  violent  and  constant  cough  with 
which  the  old  man  was  afflicted  would  speedily  combine 
with  his  age  and  infirmities  to  release  him  from  his  present 
sufferings.  Yet  in  the  midst  of  all  this  he  was  even  cheer- 
ful, nor  was  there  a  gloomy  countenance  to  be  seen  at  the 
village. 

Almost  all  the  men  were  out,  and  some  of  them  had  been 
led  so  far  to  sea  upon  the  floating  and  detached  masses  of 
ice  in  pursuit  of  walruses  that  Captain  Lyon,  who  observed 
their  situation  from  the  ships,  had  it  in  contemplation,  in 
the  course  of  the  evening,  to  launch  one  of  the  small  boats 
to  go  to  their  assistance.  They  seemed,  however,  to  enter- 
tain no  apprehension  themselves,  from  confidence,  perhaps, 
that  the  southeast  wind  might  be  depended  upon  for  keep- 
ing the  ice  close  home  upon  the  shore.  It  is  certain,  not- 
withstanding, that  no  degree  of  precaution,  nor  any  knowl- 
edge of  the  winds  and  tides,  can  render  this  otherwise  than 
a  most  perilous  mode  of  obtaining  subsistence ;  and  it  was 
impossible,  therefore,  not  to  admire  the  fearlessness  as  well 


Parry]  LIFE  AMONG   THE  ESQUIMAUX.  203 

as  dexterity  with  which  the  Esquimaux  invariably  pur- 
sued it. 

Having  distributed  some  bread-dust  among  the  women, 
we  told  old  Illumea  and  her  daughter  Togolat  that  we 
proposed  taking  up  our  lodging  in  their  hut  for  the  night. 
It  is  a  remarkable  trait  in  the  character  of  these  people  that 
they  all  always  thank  you  heartily  for  this  as  well  as  for 
eating  any  of  their  meat,  but  both  board  and  lodging  may 
be  given  to  them  without  receiving  the  slightest  acknowl- 
edgment either  in  word  or  deed.  As  it  was  late  before  the 
men  returned,  I  asked  Togolat  to  get  the  rest  of  the  women 
to  perform  some  of  their  games,  with  the  hope  of  seeing 
something  that  was  new.  I  had  scarcely  time  to  make 
the  proposal  when  she  darted  out  of  the  hut  and  quickly 
brought  every  female  that  was  left  at  the  village,  not  ex- 
cepting even  the  oldest  of  them,  who  joined  in  the  per- 
formance with  the  same  alacrity  as  the  rest.  I  could,  how- 
ever, only  persuade  them  to  go  through  a  tedious  song  we 
had  often  before  heard,  which  was  now  indeed  somewhat 
modified  by  their  insisting  on  our  taking  turns  in  the  per- 
formance, all  which  did  not  fail  to  create  among  them 
never-ceasing  merriment  and  laughter.  Neither  their  want 
of  food  and  fuel,  nor  the  uncertain  prospect  of  obtaining 
any  that  night,  were  suflBcient  to  deprive  these  poor  crea- 
tures of  that  cheerfulness  and  good  humor  which  it  seems 
at  all  times  their  peculiar  happiness  to  enjoy. 

The  night  proved  very  thick  with  small  snow,  and  as 
disagreeable  and  dangerous  for  people  adrift  upon  floating 
ice  as  can  well  be  imagined.  If  the  women,  however,  gave 
their  husbands  a  thought  or  spoke  of  them  to  us,  it  was 
only  to  express  a  very  sincere  hope  that  some  good  news 
might  shortly  arrive  of  their  success.  Our  singing  party 
had  not  long  been  broken  up  when  it  was  suddenly  an- 
nounced by  one  of  the  children,  the  usual  heralds  on  such 


204  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Parrt 

occasions,  that  the  men  had  killed  something  on  the  ice. 
The  only  two  men  who  were  at  home  instantly  scrambled 
on  their  outer  jackets,  harnessed  their  dogs,  and  set  off  to 
assist  their  companions  in  bringing  home  the  game,  while 
the  women  remained  for  an  hour  in  anxious  suspense  as  to 
the  extent  of  their  husbands'  success.  At  length  one  of 
the  men  arrived  with  the  positive  intelligence  of  two  wal- 
ruses having  been  taken,  and  brought  with  him  a  portion 
of  these  huge  animals  as  large  as  he  could  drag  over  the 
snow. 

If  the  women  were  only  cheerful  before,  they  were  now 
absolutely  frantic.  A  general  shout  of  joy  instantly  re- 
echoed through  the  village ;  they  ran  into  each  other's 
huts  to  communicate  the  welcome  intelligence,  and  actually 
hugged  one  another  in  an  ecstasy  of  delight  by  way  of 
congratulation.  One  of  them,  ArnalooS.,  a  pretty  young 
woman  of  nineteen  or  twenty,  knowing  that  a  dog  belong- 
ing to  her  husband  was  still  at  the  huts,  and  that  there  was 
no  man  to  take  him  down  on  the  ice,  ran  out  instantly  to 
perform  that  office ;  and,  with  a  hardiness  not  to  be  sur- 
passed by  any  of  the  men,  returned  after  two  hours'  ab- 
sence, with  her  load  of  walrus-flesh,  and  without  even  the 
hood  thrown  over  her  head  to  protect  her  from  the  in- 
clemency of  the  weather. 

When  the  first  burst  of  joy  had  at  length  subsided,  the 
women  crept  one  by  one  into  the  apartment  where  the  first 
portion  of  the  sea-horses  had  been  conveyed,  and  which  is 
always  that  of  one  of  the  men  immediately  concerned  in 
the  killing  of  them.  Here  they  obtained  blubber  enough 
to  set  all  their  lamps  alight,  besides  a  few  scraps  of  meat 
for  their  children  and  themselves.  From  this  time,  which 
was  nine  o'clock,  till  past  midnight  fresh  cargoes  were  con- 
tinually arriving,  the  principal  part  being  brought  in  by 
the  dogs,  and  the  rest  by  the  men,  who,  tying  the  thong 


Parry]  LIFE  AMONG   THE  ESQUIMAUX.  205 

which  held  it  round  their  waist,  dragged  in  each  his  sepa- 
rate portion.  Before  the  whole  was  brought  in,  however, 
some  of  them  went  out  three  times  to  the  scene  of  action, 
though  the  distance  was  a  mile  anda  half. 

Every  lamp  now  swimming  with  oil,  the  huts  exhibited 
a  blaze  of  light,  and  never  was  there  a  scene  of  more  joyous 
festivity  than  while  the  operation  of  cutting  up  the  wal- 
ruses continued.  I  took  the  opportunity  which  their  pres- 
ent good  humor  afforded  to  obtain  a  perfect  head  and  tusks 
of  one  of  these  animals,  which  we  had  not  been  able  to  do 
before ;  and  indeed,  so  much  were  their  hearts  opened  by 
the  scene  of  abundance  before  them,  that  I  believe  they 
would  have  given  us  anything  we  asked  for.  This  dispo- 
sition was  considerably  increased,  also,  by  their  taking  it 
into  their  heads  that  their  success  was  in  some  way  or 
other  connected  with,  or  even  owing  to,  our  having  taken 
up  our  night's  lodging  at  the  huts. 

After  viewing  all  this  festivity  for  some  time,  I  felt 
disposed  to  rest,  and  wrapping  mj-self  up  in  my  fur  coat, 
lay  down  on  one  of  the  beds  which  Illumea  had  given 
up  for  our  accommodation,  as  well  as  her  keipik,  or  large 
deer-skin  blanket,  which  she  had  rolled  up  for  my  pillow. 
The  poor  old  woman  herself  sat  up  by  her  lamp,  and  in 
that  posture  seemed  perfectly  well  satisfied  to  doze  away 
the  night.  The  singularity  of  my  night's  lodging  made 
me  awake  several  times,  when  I  always  found  some  of  the 
Esquimaux  eating,  though  after  we  lay  down  they  kept 
quiet  for  fear  of  disturbing  us.  Mr.  Halse,  who  was  still 
more  wakeful,  told  me  that  some  of  them  were  incessantly 
employed  in  this  manner  for  more  than  three  hours.  In- 
deed, the  quantity  of  meat  that  they  thus  contrive  to  get 
rid  of  is  almost  beyond  belief. 

Having  at  length  enjoyed  a  sound  nap,  I  found  on 
awaking  about  five  o'clock  that  the  men  were  already  up, 


206  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Parrt 

and  had  gone  out  to  resume  their  labors  on  the  ice,  so  that 
several  of  them  could  not  have  rested  more  than  two  or 
three  hours.  This  circumstance  served  to  correct  a  notion 
we  had  entertained,  that  when  once  abundantly  supplied 
with  food  they  took  no  pains  to  obtain  more  till  want 
began  again  to  stare  them  in  the  face.  It  was  now  more 
pleasing  to  be  assured  that,  even  in  the  midst  of  plenty, 
they  did  not  indolently  give  themselves  up  to  repose,  but 
were  willing  to  take  advantage  of  every  favorable  oppor- 
tunity of  increasing  their  store.  It  is  certain,  indeed,  that 
were  these  people  more  provident  (or,  in  other  words,  less 
gluttonous,  for  they  do  not  waste  much),  they  might  never 
know  what  it  is  to  want  provisions,  even  during  the  most 
inclement  part  of  the  year.  The  state  of  the  ice  was 
to-day  very  unfavorable  for  their  purpose,  being  broken 
into  pieces  so  small  that  they  could  scarcely  venture  to 
walk  upon  it.  .  .  . 

The  moi-ning  of  the  5th  proved  favorable  for  a  journey 
I  had  in  contemplation  to  the  distant  huts,  to  which  Ilig- 
liuk,  who  had  come  to  Winter  Island  the  day  before,  prom- 
ised to  be  my  guide.  At  six  o'clock  I  set  out,  accompa- 
nied by  Mr.  Bushman  and  two  of  the  men,  carrying  with 
us  a  supply  of  bread-dust,  besides  our  own  provisions  and 
blankets.  As  the  distance  was  too  great  for  her  son  Siout- 
kuk  to  walk,  we  were  uncertain  till  the  moment  of  setting 
out  how  this  was  to  be  managed,  there  being  no  sledge  at 
hand  for  the  purpose.  We  found,  however,  that  a  man, 
whom  we  had  observed  for  some  time  at  work  among  the 
hummocks  of  ice  upon  the  beach,  had  been  emploj^ed  in 
cutting  out  of  that  abundant  material  a  neat  and  service- 
able little  sledge,  hollowed  like  a  bowl  or  tray  out  of  a 
Bolid  block,  and  smoothly  rounded  at  the  bottom.  The 
thongs  to  which  the  dogs  were  attached  were  secured  to  a 
groove  cut  around  its  upper  edge;   and  the  young  seal- 


Parbt]  life  among   THE  ESQUIMAUX.  207 

catcher,  seated  in  this  simple  vehicle,  was  dragged  along 
with  great  convenience  and  comfort. 

The  ice  over  which  we  travelled  was  a  level  floe  that  had 
never  suffered  disturbance  since  its  -first  formation  in  the 
autumn,  and  with  not  more  than  an  inch  and  a  half  of 
snow  upon  it.  The  path  being  distinctly  marked  out  by 
the  people,  sledges,  and  dogs  that  had  before  travelled  upon 
it,  one  might,  without  any  great  stretch  of  the  imagina- 
tion, have  almost  fancied  it  a  road  leading  over  a  level  and 
extensive  heath  towards  a  more  civilized  and  substantial 
village  than  that  which  we  were  now  approaching.  Ilig- 
liuk  walked  as  nimbly  as  the  best  of  us ;  and  after  two 
hours  and  a  half  brisk  travelling  we  arrived  at  the  huts, 
and  were  received  by  the  women  (for  all  the  men  were 
absent)  with  every  expression  of  kindness  and  welcome. 
Each  was  desirous  of  affording  us  lodging,  and  we  had 
speedily  arranged  matters  so  as  to  put  them  to  the  least 
possible  inconvenience. 

These  huts,  four  in  number,  were  in  the  mode  of  their 
construction  exact  counterparts  of  those  at  Winter  Island 
on  our  first  visit,  but,  being  now  new  and  clean,  presented 
a  striking  contrast  with  the  latter,  in  their  present  disor- 
dered and  filthy  state.  What  gave  a  peculiarity,  as  well 
as  beauty  also,  to  the  interior  appearance  of  these  habita- 
tions, was  their  being  situated  on  the  ice,  which,  being 
cleared  of  the  snow,  presented  a  flooring  of  that  splendid 
blue  which  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  richest  colors  that  nature 
affords.  A  seal  or  two  having  been  lately  procured,  every 
lamp  was  now  blazing,  and  every  ootkooseek  smoking  with 
a  hot  mess  which,  together  with  the  friendly  reception  we 
experienced  and  a  little  warmth  and  fatigue  from  travel- 
ling, combined  in  conveying  to  our  minds  an  idea  of  com- 
fort which  we  could  scarcely  believe  an  Esquimaux  hut 
capable  of  exciting. 


208  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Parrt 

On  the  arrival  of  the  men,  who  came  in  towards  even- 
ing, with  two  seals  as  the  reward  of  their  labor,  we  were 
once  more  greeted  and  welcomed.  Arnaneelia  in  particular, 
who  was  a  quiet,  obliging,  and  even  amiable,  man,  was  de- 
lighted to  find  that  my  quarters  were  to  be  in  his  apart- 
ment, where  Aneetka,  his  wife,  a  young  woman  of  about 
twenty-three,  had  already  arranged  everything  for  my  ac- 
commodation ;  and  both  these  poor  people  now  vied  with 
each  other  in  their  attention  to  my  comfort.  The  other 
two  apartments  of  the  same  hut  were  occupied  by  Kaoon- 
gut  and  Okotook,  with  their  respective  wives  and  families, 
it  being  the  constant  custom  of  these  people  thus  to  unite 
in  family  groups  whenever  the  nature  of  their  habitations 
will  allow  it.  Mr.  Bushman  being  established  with  Oko- 
took, and  the  two  men  with  Kaoongut,  we  were  thus  all 
comfortably  lodged  under  the  same  roof  .  .  . 

On  the  22d  a  number  of  the  Esquimaux  came  to  the 
ships  with  a  sledge,  and  among  the  rest  my  late  host  Arna- 
neelia and  his  wife,  the  latter  having  the  front  of  her  jacket 
adorned  with  numberless  strings  of  beads  that  we  had 
given  her,  arranged  with  exact  uniformity,  to  which,  in 
the  fashion  of  their  dresses  and  the  disposition  of  their  or- 
naments, these  people  always  rigidly  adhere.  Aneetka  had 
scarcely  reached  the  cabin  when  she  produced  a  little  ivory 
comb  and  a  pair  of  handsome  mittens,  which  she  presented 
to  Mr.  Edwards,  at  the  same  time  thanking  him  for  the 
attention  he  had  shown  her  on  an  occasion  when  she  had 
been  taken  in  a  fit  alongside  the  "  Fury,"  from  which  she 
was  recovered  by  bleeding.  This  expression  of  gratitude, 
in  which  she  was  heartily  joined  by  her  husband,  was  ex- 
tremely gratifying  to  us,  as  it  served  in  some  degree  to 
redeem  these  people  in  our  estimation  from  the  imputa- 
tion of  ingratitude  which  is  indeed  one  of  their  greatest 
failings. 


rASRT]  LIFE  AMONG   THE  ESQUIMAUX.  209 

They  stated  having  seen  two  reindeer  the  preceding  day 
going  over  the  ice  to  the  mainland.  They  spoke  of  this 
with  great  pleasure,  and  we  were  ourselves  not  displeased 
with  the  prospect  of  changing  our  diet  for  a  little  venison. 
They  now  became  extremely  urgent  with  us  for  wood  to 
make  bows  and  arrows,  most  of  their  own  having,  with 
the  childishness  that  accompanied  their  first  barterings, 
been  parted  with  to  our  officers  and  men.  Having  several 
broken  oars  which  could  be  turned  to  little  or  no  account 
on  board,  we  were  enabled,  at  a  small  expense  of  useful 
stores,  to  furnish  them  veiy  abundantly  with  wood  for  this 
purpose.  Arnaneelia  also  informed  us  that  Okotook,  who 
had  been  unwell  for  some  days,  was  now  much  worse,  and 
seemed,  as  he  described  it,  to  be  laboring  under  a  violent 
pulmonary  complaint.  On  the  circumstance  being  men- 
tioned to  Mr.  Skeoch,  he  kindly  volunteered  to  go  to  the 
village,  and  accordingly  took  his  seat  on  the  sledge,  accom- 
panied also  by  Mr.  Sherer.  They  carried  with  them  a 
quantity  of  bread-dust  to  be  disti'ibuted  among  the  Esqui- 
maux at  the  huts,  their  success  in  seal-catching  having 
lately  been  indifferent.  ,  .  . 

In  digging  up  the  piece  of  ground  for  our  garden,  we 
found  an  incredible  quantity  of  bones  scattered  about  and 
concealed  under  the  little  soil  there  was.  They  were  prin- 
cipally those  of  walruses  and  seals,  and  had  evidently  been 
left  a  long  time  before  by  Esquimaux,  in  the  course  of 
their  wandering  visits  to  the  island,  being  gi-adually  cov- 
ered by  the  vegetable  mould  formed  upon  the  spot  which 
they  helped  to  fertihze.  Afterwards,  when  the  land  became 
more  clear  of  snow,  this  was  found  to  be  the  case  to  a 
much  greater  extent,  every  spot  of  ground  upon  the  south- 
east point,  which  was  not  absolutely  a  rock,  being  covered 
with  these  relics.     Some  graves  were  also  discovered,  in 

one  of  which  were  a  human  skull,  apparently  a  hundred 
Vol.  I— 14 


210         WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Kanb 

years  buried,  and  some  pieces  of  wood  that  had  probably 
been  parts  of  spears  or  arrows  almost  mouldered  to  dust. 
Knowing  as  we  do  the  antiseptic  properties  of  this  climate, 
animal  or  vegetable  substances  in  this  state  of  decay  convey 
to  the  mind  an  idea  of  much  greater  age  than  they  would 
in  any  other  part  of  the  world. 

[Escape  from  their  winter  quarters  was  not  accomplished  till  the 
1st  of  July,  they  having  been  for  nine  months  frozen  in  the  ice.] 


FUGITIVES  FROM  THE  ARCTIC  SEAS. 

ELISHA   KENT   KANE. 

[Of  all  works  of  travel  in  the  Arctic  seas,  none  have  attracted  more 
attention  than  Dr.  Kane's  "Arctic  Explorations,"  an  attractively 
written  journal  of  hardship  and  adventure  that  had  the  interest  of  a 
romance  to  most  readers.  The  expedition  ended  in  the  enforced  aban- 
donment of  the  ship  and  a  long  boat  journey  over  the  ice,  in  which 
the  adventurers  experienced  many  perils  and  suffered  much  from 
hunger.     We  give  the  concluding  incidents  of  this  journey.] 

It  was  the  18th  of  July  before  the  aspects  of  the  ice 
about  us  gave  me  the  hope  of  progress.  We  had  prepared 
ourselves  for  the  new  encounter  with  the  sea  and  its  trials 
by  laying  in  a  store  of  lumme  [an  Arctic  bird],  two  hundred 
and  fifty  of  which  had  been  duly  skinned,  spread  open,  and 
dried  on  the  rocks  as  the  entremets  of  our  bread-dust  and 
tallow. 

My  journal  tells  of  disaster  in  its  record  of  our  setting 
out.  In  launching  the  "  Hope"  from  the  frail  and  pei-ishing 
ice- wharf  on  which  we  found  our  first  refuge  from  the  gale, 
she  was  precipitated  into  the  sludge  below,  carrying  away 
rail  and  bulwark,  losing  overboard  our  best  shot-gun,  Bon* 


Kane]       FUGITIVES  FROM  THE  ARCTIC  SEAS.  211 

Ball's  favorite,  and,  worst  of  all,  that  universal  favorite,  our 
kettle, — soup-kettle,  paste-kettle,  tea-kettle,  water-kettle,  in 
one.  I  may  mention  before  I  pass  that  the  kettle  found  its 
substitute  and  successor  in  the  remains  of  a  tin  can  which  a 
good  aunt  of  mine  had  filled  with  ginger-nuts  two  years 
before,  and  which  had  long  survived  the  condiments  that 
once  gave  it  dignity.     "  Such  are  the  uses  of  adversity." 

Our  descent  to  the  coast  followed  the  margin  of  the  fast 
ice.  After  passing  the  Crimson  Cliffs  of  Sir  John  Eoss  it 
wore  almost  the  dress  of  a  holiday  excursion, — a  rude  one, 
perhaps,  yet  truly  one  in  feeling.  Our  course,  except 
where  a  protruding  glacier  interfered  with  it,  was  nearly 
parallel  to  the  shore.  The  birds  along  it  were  rejoicing  in 
the  young  summer,  and  when  we  halted  it  was  upon  some 
green-clothed  cape  near  a  stream  of  water  from  the  ice- 
fields above.  Our  sportsmen  would  clamber  up  the  cliffs 
and  come  back  laden  with  little  auks ;  great  generous  fires 
of  turf,  that  cost  nothing  but  the  toil  of  gathering,  blazed 
merrily ;  and  our  happy  oarsmen,  after  a  long  day's  work, 
made  easy  by  the  promise  ahead,  would  stretch  themselves 
in  the  sunshine  and  dream  happily  away  till  called  to  the 
morning  wash  and  prayers.  We  enjoyed  it  the  more,  for 
we  all  of  us  knew  that  it  could  not  last. 

This  coast  must  have  been  a  favorite  region  at  one  time 
with  the  natives, — a  sort  of  Esquimaux  Eden.  We  seldom 
encamped  without  finding  the  ruins  of  their  habitations, 
for  the  most  part  overgrown  with  lichens,  and  exhibiting 
every  mark  of  antiquity.  One  of  these,  in  latitude  76° 
20',  was  once,  no  doubt,  an  extensive  village.  Cairns  for 
the  safe  deposit  of  meat  stood  in  long  lines,  six  or  eight  in 
a  group ;  and  the  huts,  built  of  large  rocks,  faced  each 
other,  as  if  disposed  on  a  street  or  avenue. 

The  same  reasoning  which  deduces  the  subsidence  of  the 
coast  from  the  actual  base  of  the  Temple  of  Serapis,  proves 


212  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Kanb 

that  the  depression  of  the  Greenland  coast,  which  I  had 
detected  as  far  north  as  Upernavik,  is  also  going  on  up 
here.  Some  of  these  huts  were  washed  by  the  sea  or  torn 
away  by  the  ice  that  had  descended  with  the  tides.  The 
turf,  too,  a  representative  of  very  ancient  growth,  was  cut 
off  even  with  the  water's  edge,  giving  sections  two  feet  thick. 
I  had  not  noticed  before  such  unmistakable  evidence  of  the 
depression  of  this  coast :  its  converse  elevation  I  had  ob- 
served to  the  north  of  Wostenholme  Sound.  The  axis  of 
oscillation  must  be  somewhere  in  the  neighborhood  of 
latitude  77°. 

We  reached  Cape  York  on  the  2l8t,  after  a  tortuous  but 
romantic  travel  through  a  misty  atmosphere.  Here  the 
land-leads  ceased,  with  the  exception  of  some  small  and 
scarcely  practicable  openings  near  the  shore,  which  were 
evidently  owing  to  the  wind  that  prevailed  for  the  time. 
Everything  bore  proof  of  the  late  development  of  the 
season.  The  red  snow  was  a  fortnight  behind  its  time.  A 
fast  floe  extended  with  numerous  tongues  far  out  to  the 
south  and  east.  The  only  question  was  between  a  new 
rest,  for  the  shore-ices  to  open,  or  a  desertion  of  the  coast 
and  a  trial  of  the  open  water  to  the  west. 

[They  had  at  this  time  but  thirty-six  pounds  of  food  per  man  and 
fuel  enough  to  last  them  three  weeks.] 

I  climbed  the  rocks  a  second  time  with  Mr.  McGary, 
and  took  a  careful  survey  of  the  ice  with  my  glass.  The 
"  fast,"  as  the  whalers  call  the  immovable  shore-ice,  could 
be  seen  in  a  nearly  unbroken  sweep,  passing  by  Bushnell's 
Island,  and  joining  the  coast  not  far  from  where  I  stood. 
The  outside  floes  were  large,  and  had  evidently  been  not 
long  broken  ;  but  it  cheered  my  heart  to  see  that  there  was 
one  well  defined  lead  which  followed  the  main  floe  until  it 
lost  itself  to  seaward. 


Kane]       FUGITIVES  FROM  THE  ARCTIC  SEAS.  213 

I  called  my  oflScers  together,  explained  to  them  the 
motives  which  governed  me,  and  prepared  to  re-embark. 
The  boats  were  hauled  up,  examined  carefully,  and,  as  far 
as  our  means  permitted,  repaired.  The  "Eed  Eric"  was 
stripped  of  her  outfit  and  cargo,  to  be  broken  up  for  fuel 
when  the  occasion  should  come.  A  large  beacon-cairn  was 
built  on  an  eminence,  open  to  view  from  the  south  and  west, 
and  a  red  flannel  shirt,  spared  with  some  reluctance,  was 
hoisted  as  a  pennant  to  draw  attention  to  the  spot.  Here 
I  deposited  a  succinct  record  of  our  condition  and  purposes, 
and  then  directed  our  course  south  by  west  into  the  ice- 
fields. 

By  degrees  the  ice  through  which  we  were  moving  be- 
came more  and  more  impacted,  and  it  sometimes  required 
all  our  ice-knowledge  to  determine  whether  a  particular 
lead  was  practicable  or  not.  The  irregularities  of  the  sur- 
face, broken  by  hummocks,  and  occasionally  by  larger 
masses,  made  it  difficult  to  see  far  ahead,  besides  which 
we  were  often  erabax'rassed  by  the  fogs.  I  was  awakened 
one  evening  from  a  weary  sleep  in  my  fox-skins  to  dis- 
cover that  we  had  fairly  lost  our  way.  The  officer  at  the 
helm  of  the  leading  boat,  misled  by  the  irregular  shape  of 
a  large  iceberg  that  crossed  his  track,  had  lost  the  main 
lead  some  time  before,  and  was  steering  shoreward,  far  out 
of  the  true  course.  The  little  canal  in  which  he  had  locked 
us  was  hardly  two  boats' -lengths  across,  and  lost  itself  not 
far  off  in  a  feeble  zigzag  both  behind  and  before  us ;  it  was 
evidently  closing,  and  we  could  not  retreat. 

Without  apprising  the  men  of  our  misadventure,  I  or- 
dered the  boats  hauled  up,  and,  under  pretence  of  drying 
the  clothing  and  stores,  made  a  camp  on  the  ice.  A  few 
hours  after  the  weather  cleared  enough  for  the  first  time 
to  allow  a  view  of  the  distance,  and  McGary  and  mj-self 
climbed  a  berg  some  three  hundred  feet  high  for  the  pur- 


214  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Kan a 

pose.  It  wa8  truly  fearful ;  we  were  deep  in  the  recesses 
of  the  bay,  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  stupendous  icebergs 
and  tangled  floe-pieces.  My  sturdy  second  officer,  not  nat- 
urally impressible,  and  long  accustomed  to  the  vicissitudes 
of  whaling  life,  shed  tears  at  the  prospect. 

There  was  but  one  thing  to  be  done :  cost  what  it  might, 
we  must  harness  our  sledges  again  and  retrace  our  way  to  the 
westward.  One  sledge  had  been  already  used  for  firewood; 
the  "  Eed  Eric,"  to  which  it  had  belonged,  was  now  cut  up, 
and  her  light  cedar  planking  laid  upon  the  floor  of  the 
other  boats,  and  we  went  to  work  with  the  rue-raddies  as 
in  the  olden  time.  It  was  not  till  the  third  toilsome  day 
was  well  spent  that  we  reached  the  berg  that  had  bewil- 
dered our  helmsman.  We  hauled  over  its  tongue  and  joy- 
ously embarked  again  upon  a  free  lead,  with  a  fine  breeze 
from  the  north. 

Our  little  squadron  was  now  reduced  to  two  boats.  The 
land  to  the  northward  was  no  longer  visible,  and  whenever 
I  left  the  margin  of  the  fast  to  avoid  its  deep  sinuosities,  I 
was  obliged  to  trust  entirely  to  the  compass.  We  had  at 
least  eight  days'  allowance  of  fuel  on  board ;  but  our  pro- 
visions were  running  very  low,  and  we  met  few  birds,  and 
failed  to  secure  any  larger  game.  We  saw  several  large 
seals  upon  the  ice,  but  they  were  too  watchful  for  us ;  and 
on  two  occasions  we  came  upon  the  walrus  sleeping,  once 
within  actual  lance-thrust ;  but  the  animal  charged  in  the 
teeth  of  his  assailant  and  made  good  his  retreat. 

On  the  28th  I  instituted  a  quiet  review  of  the  state  of 
things  before  us.  Our  draft  on  the  stores  we  had  laid  in 
at  Providence  Halt  had  been  limited  for  some  days  to  three 
raw  eggs  and  two  breasts  of  birds  a  day,  but  we  had  a 
small  ration  of  bread-dust  besides ;  and  when  we  halted,  as 
we  did  regularly  for  meals,  our  fuel  allowed  us  to  indulge 
lavishly  in  the  great  panacea  of  Arctic  travel,  tea.     The 


Kane]       FUGITIVES  FROM  THE  ARCTIC  SEAS.  215 

men's  strength  was  waning  under  this  restricted  diet,  but 
a  careful  reckoning  up  of  our  remaining  supplies  proved 
to  me  now  that  even  this  was  more  than  we  could  afford 
ourselves  without  an  undue  reliance  on  the  fortunes  of  the 
hunt.  Our  next  land  was  to  be  Cape  Shackleton,  one  of 
the  most  prolific  bird-colonies  of  the  coast,  which  we  were 
all  looking  to,  much  as  sailors  nearing  home  in  their  boats 
after  disaster  and  short  allowance  at  sea.  But,  meting  out 
our  stores  through  the  number  of  days  that  must  elapse 
before  we  could  expect  to  share  its  hospitable  welcome,  I 
found  that  five  ounces  of  bread-dust,  four  of  tallow,  and 
three  of  bird-meat  must  from  this  time  form  our  daily 
ration. 

So  far  we  had  generally  coasted  the  fast  ice  ;  it  had  given 
us  an  occasional  resting-place  and  refuge,  and  we  were  able 
sometimes  to  reinforce  our  stores  of  provisions  by  our  guns. 
But  it  made  our  progress  tediously  slow,  and  our  stock  of 
small  shot  was  so  nearly  exhausted  that  I  was  convinced 
our  safety  depended  on  increase  of  speed.  I  determined 
to  try  the  more  open  sea. 

For  the  first  two  days  the  experiment  was  a  failure.  We 
were  surrounded  by  heavy  fogs ;  a  southwest  wind  brought 
the  outside  pack  upon  us,  and  obliged  us  to  haul  up  on  the 
drifting  ice.  We  were  thus  carried  to  the  northward,  and 
lost  about  twenty  miles.  My  party,  much  overworked,  felt 
despondingly  the  want  of  the  protection  of  the  land-floes. 

Nevertheless,  I  held  to  my  purpose,  steering  south-south- 
west as  nearly  as  the  leads  would  admit,  and  looking  con- 
stantly for  the  thinning  out  of  the  pack  that  hangs  around 
the  western  water. 

Although  the  low  diet  and  exposure  to  wet  had  again 
reduced  our  party,  there  was  no  apparent  relaxation  of 
energy,  and  it  was  not  until  some  days  later  that  I  found 
their  strength  seriously  giving  way. 


216  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Kane 

It  is  a  little  curious  that  the  effect  of  a  short  allowance 
of  food  does  not  show  itself  in  hunger.  The  first  symp- 
tom is  a  loss  of  power,  often  so  imperceptibly  brought  on 
that  it  becomes  evident  only  by  an  accident.  I  well  re- 
member our  look  of  blank  amazement  as,  one  da}^,  the 
order  being  given  to  haul  the  "  Hope"  over  a  tongue  of  ice, 
we  found  she  would  not  budge.  At  first  I  thought  it  was 
owing  to  the  wetness  of  the  snow-covered  surface  in  which 
her  runners  were ;  but,  as  there  was  a  heavy  gale  blowing 
outside,  and  I  was  extremely  anxious  to  get  her  on  to  a 
larger  floe  to  prevent  being  drifted  off,  I  lightened  her 
cargo  and  set  both  crews  upon  her.  In  the  land  of  prom- 
ise off  Crimson  Cliffs  such  a  force  would  have  trundled 
her  like  a  wheelbarrow :  we  could  almost  have  borne  her 
upon  our  backs.  Now  with  incessant  labor  and  standing 
hauls  she  moved  at  a  snail's  pace. 

The  "  Faith"  was  left  behind  and  barely  escaped  destruc- 
tion. The  outside  pressure  cleft  the  floe  asunder,  and  we 
saw  our  best  boat  with  all  our  stores  drifting  rapidly  away 
from  us.  The  sight  produced  an  almost  hysterical  im- 
pression upon  our  party.  Two  days  of  want  of  bread,  I 
am  sure,  would  have  destroyed  us ;  and  we  had  now  left 
us  but  eight  pounds  of  shot  in  all.  To  launch  the  "Hope" 
again,  and  rescue  her  comrade  or  share  her  fortunes,  would 
have  been  the  instinct  of  other  circumstances ;  but  it  was 
out  of  the  question  now.  Happily,  before  we  had  time  to 
ponder  our  loss  a  flat  cake  of  ice  eddied  round  near  the 
floe  we  were  upon ;  McGary  and  myself  sprang  to  it  at 
the  moment,  and  succeeded  in  floating  it  across  the  chasm 
in  time  to  secure  her.  The  rest  of  the  crew  rejoined  her 
only  by  scrambling  over  the  crushed  ice  as  we  brought  her 
in  at  the  hummock-lines. 

Things  grew  worse  and  worse  with  us ;  the  old  difficulty 
of  breathing  came  back  again,  and  our  feet  swelled  to  such 


Kane]       FUGITIVES  FROM  THE  ARCTIC  SEAS.  217 

an  extent  that  we  were  obliged  to  cut  open  our  canvas 
boots.  But  the  symptom  which  gave  me  most  uneasiness 
was  our  inability  to  sleep.  A  form  of  low  fever  which 
hung  by  us  when  at  work  had  been  kept  down  by  the 
thoroughness  of  our  daily  rest ;  all  my  hopes  of  escape 
were  in  the  refreshing  influences  of  the  halt. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  we  were  now  in  the  open 
bay,  in  the  full  line  of  the  great  ice-drift  to  the  Atlantic, 
and  in  boats  so  frail  and  unseaworthy  as  to  require  con- 
stant baling  to  keep  them  afloat. 

It  was  at  this  crisis  of  our  fortunes  that  we  saw  a  large 
seal  floating — as  is  the  custom  of  these  animals — on  a 
small  patch  of  ice,  and  seemingly  asleep.  It  was  an  ussuk, 
and  so  large  that  I  at  first  mistook  it  for  a  walrus.  Signal 
was  made  for  the  "  Hope"  to  follow  astern,  and,  trembling 
with  anxiety,  we  prepared  to  crawl  down  upon  him. 

Petersen,  with  the  large  English  rifle,  was  stationed  in 
the  bow,  and  stockings  were  drawn  over  the  oars  as 
mufilers.  As  we  neared  the  animal  our  excitement  became 
so  intense  that  the  men  could  hardly  keep  stroke.  I  had 
a  set  of  signals  for  such  occasions  which  spared  us  the 
noise  of  the  voice ;  and  when  about  three  hundred  yards 
off  the  oars  were  taken  in,  and  we  moved  in  deep  silence 
with  a  single  scull  astern. 

He  was  not  asleep,  for  he  reared  his  head  when  we  were 
almost  within  rifle-shot ;  and  to  this  day  I  can  remember 
the  hard,  careworn,  almost  desjjaii^ing  expression  of  the 
men's  thin  faces  as  they  saw  him  move ;  their  lives 
depended  on  his  capture. 

I  depressed  my  hand  nervously,  as  a  signal  for  Petersen 
to  fire.  McGary  hung  upon  his  oar,  and  the  boat,  slowly 
but  noiselessly  sagging  ahead,  seemed  to  me  within  certain 
range.  Looking  at  Petersen,  I  saw  that  the  poor  fellow 
was  paralyzed  by  his  anxiety,  trying  vainly  to  obtain  a 


218         WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Kan a 

rest  for  his  gun  against  the  cut-water  of  the  boat.  The 
seal  rose  on  his  fore-flippers,  gazed  at  us  for  a  moment  with 
frightened  curiosity,  and  coiled  himself  for  a  plunge.  At 
that  instant,  simultaneously  with  the  crack  of  our  rifle,  he 
relaxed  his  long  length  on  the  ice,  and,  at  the  very  brink 
of  the  water,  his  head  fell  helpless  to  one  side. 

I  would  have  ordered  another  shot,  but  no  discipline 
could  have  controlled  the  men.  With  a  wild  yell,  each 
vociferating  according  to  his  own  impulse,  they  urged  both 
boats  upon  the  floes.  A  crowd  of  hands  seized  the  seal 
and  bore  him  up  to  safer  ice.  The  men  seemed  half  crazy ; 
I  had  not  realized  how  much  we  were  reduced  by  absolute 
famine.  They  ran  over  the  floe  crying  and  laughing  and 
brandishing  their  knives.  It  was  not  five  minutes  before 
every  man  was  sucking  his  bloody  fingers  or  mouthing 
long  strips  of  raw  blubber. 

Not  an  ounce  of  this  seal  was  lost.  The  intestines  found 
their  way  into  the  soup-kettles  without  any  observances  of 
the  preliminary  home  processes.  The  cartilaginous  parts 
of  the  fore-flippers  were  cut  off  in  the  melee  and  passed 
round  to  be  chewed  upon ;  and  even  the  liver,  warm  and 
raw  as  it  was,  bade  fair  to  be  eaten  before  it  had  seen  the 
pot.  That  night,  on  the  large  halting  floe,  to  which,  in 
contempt  of  the  dangers  of  drifting,  we  happy  men  had 
hauled  our  boats,  two  entire  planks  of  the  "  Eed  Eric"  were 
devoted  to  a  grand  cooking-fire,  and  we  enjoyed  a  rare  and 
savage  feast. 

This  was  our  last  experience  of  the  disagreeable  efi^ects 
of  hunger.  In  the  words  of  George  Stephenson,  "  The 
charm  was  broken,  and  the  dogs  were  safe."  The  dogs  I 
have  said  little  about,  for  none  of  us  liked  to  think  of  them. 
The  poor  creatures  Toodla  and  Whitey  had  been  taken 
with  us  as  last  resources  against  starvation.  They  were, 
as  McGary  worded  it,  "  meat  on  the  hoof,"  and  "  able  to 


Kane]       FUGITIVES  FROM  THE  ARCTIC  SEAS.  219 

carry  their  own  fat  over  the  floes."  Once,  near  Weary 
Man's  Eest,  I  had  been  on  the  point  of  killing  them  ;  but 
they  had  been  the  leaders  of  our  winter's  team,  and  we 
could  not  bear  the  sacrifice. 

I  need  not  detail  our  journey  any  farther.  Within  a  day 
or  two  we  shot  another  seal,  and  from  that  time  forward 
had  a  full  supply  of  food.  .  .  .  Two  days  after  this,  a  mist 
had  settled  down  upon  the  islands  which  embayed  us,  and 
when  it  lifted  we  found  ourselves  rowing,  in  lazy  time, 
under  the  shadow  of  Karkamoot.  Just  then  a  familiar 
sound  came  to  us  over  the  water.  We  had  often  listened 
to  the  screeching  of  the  gulls  or  the  bark  of  the  fox  and 
mistaken  it  for  the  "  Huk"  of  the  Esquimaux,  but  this  had 
about  it  an  inflection  not  to  be  mistaken,  for  it  died  away 
in  the  familiar  cadence  of  an  "  halloo." 

"  Listen,  Petersen !  Oars,  men !"  ''What  is  it ?"  and  he 
listened  quietly  at  first,  and  then,  trembling,  said  in  a  half- 
whisper,  "  Dannemarkers !" 

I  remember  this,  the  first  tone  of  Christian  voice  which 
had  greeted  our  return  to  the  world.  How  we  all  stood 
up  and  peered  into  the  distant  nooks ;  and  how  the  cry 
came  to  us  again,  just  as,  having  seen  nothing,  we  were 
doubting  whether  the  whole  was  not  a  dream ;  and  then 
how,  with  long  sweeps,  the  white  ash  cracking  under  the 
spring  of  the  rowers,  we  stood  for  the  cape  that  the  sound 
proceeded  from,  and  how  nervously  we  scanned  the  green 
spots  which  our  experience,  grown  now  into  instinct,  told 
us  would  be  the  likely  camping-ground  of  wayfarers. 

By  and  by — for  we  must  have  been  pulling  a  good  half- 
hour — the  single  mast  of  a  small  shallop  showed  itself; 
and  Petersen,  who  had  been  very  quiet  and  grave,  burst 
into  an  incoherent  fit  of  crying,  only  relieved  by  broken 
exclamations  of  mingled  Danish  and  English.  "  'Tis  the 
Upernavik   oil-boat !     The    '  Fraulein   Flaischer !'      Carlie 


220  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Schley 

MosByn,  the  assistant  cooper,  must  be  on  his  road  to  Kin- 
gatok  for  blubber.     The  '  Marian e'  (the  one  annual  ship) 

has  come,  and  Carlie  Mossyn "  and  here  he  did  it  all 

over  again,  gulping   down   his  words   and  wringing   his 
hands. 

It  was  Carlie  Mossyn,  sure  enough.  The  quiet  routine 
of  a  Danish  settlement  is  the  same  year  after  year,  and 
Petersen  had  hit  upon  the  exact  state  of  things.  The 
''  Mariane"  was  at  Proven,  and  Carlie  Mossyn  had  come 
up  in  the  "  Friiulein  Flaischer"  to  get  the  year's  supply  of 
blubber  from  Kingatok. 


RESCUED  FROM  DEATH. 

W.  S.  SCHLEY. 

[In  the  whole  history  of  Arctic  exploration  there  is  no  story  more 
replete  with  the  elements  of  tragedy  than  that  of  Lieutenant  A.  W. 
Greely  and  his  hrave  companions.  Sailing  to  the  far  north  in  1881  on 
a  scientific  expedition,  misfortune  overtook  the  party,  largely  due  to 
the  failure  of  the  relief  expeditions  of  1882  and  1883  to  reach  them. 
The  imperilled  navigators  left  their  vessel  and  made  their  way  down 
the  coast,  suffering  terribly  from  cold  and  hunger,  and  were  in  the 
throes  of  starvation  when  finally  rescued  by  the  relief  expedition  of 
1884.  Many  of  them  had  alreadj'  died,  and  but  a  perishing  remnant 
was  left  when  they  were  at  length  discovered  in  their  final  place  of 
refuge.  The  story  of  their  discovery  and  rescue,  as  told  by  Commander 
W.  S.  Schley  and  Professor  J.  K.  Soley,  in  their  "  Rescue  of  Greely," 
is  tragically  dramatic,  and  we  make  it  the  subject  of  our  present  selec- 
tion. The  relief  vessels,  the  "  Thetis"  and  the  "  Bear,"  examining  the 
coast  in  the  vicinity  of  Cape  York,  found  that  there  was  no  trace  of 
the  sufferers  at  Littleton  Island.  Thence  they  made  their  way  to 
Brevoort  Island,  near  Cape  Sabine,  and  from  there  sent  out  four 
parties  to  examine  the  coast  in  different  directions.] 

It  was  intended  that,  as  soon  as  a  satisfactory  exam- 
ination had  been  made  and  a  depot  landed,  the  ships  should 


Schley]  RESCUED  FROM  DEATH.  221 

advance  without  delay  into  Kane  Sea.  There  was  no  ex- 
pectation of  finding  that  any  one  had  been  at  the  cape,  or 
that  the  cairns  or  caches  had  been  disturbed,  as  it  was  clear 
that  if  Greely  had  arrived  he  would  .have  been  short  of  pro- 
visions, and  would  therefore  have  sought  to  obtain  those  at 
Littleton  Island  ;  and  nobody  could  have  imagined  for  a 
moment  that  with  prospective  starvation  on  one  side  of  the 
strait,  and  a  provision  depot  (although  a  small  one)  twenty- 
three  miles  off  on  the  other,  a  party  supplied  with  a  boat 
and  oars  would  have  preferred  the  former  alternative.  In 
fact,  at  the  time  the  cutter  started,  the  crew  of  the  "  Bear" 
were  getting  provisions  on  deck,  to  be  in  readiness  for  the 
sledge  journey  that  was  to  be  made  northward,  after  the 
ships  were  stopped  by  the  fast  ice.  As  the  cutter  left  the 
ship,  Colwell  picked  up  a  can  of  hard-tack  and  two  one- 
pound  cans  of  pemmican,  as  he  thought  that  his  party 
might  be  out  all  night,  and  a  little  of  something  to  eat 
would  not  go  amiss. 

Within  half  an  hour  after  the  first  parties  had  left  the 
ship  cheers  were  heard  above  the  roaring  of  the  wind. 
At  first  it  was  impossible  to  tell  from  what  quarter  the 
sound  proceeded,  but  soon  the  cheering  was  heard  a  second 
time  more  distinctly,  in  the  direction  of  Brevoort  Island. 
Almost  immediately  after,  Ensign  Harlow  was  observed 
signalling  from  Stalknecht  Island.  His  message  read, 
"  Have  found  Greely's  record  ;  send  five  men." 

Before  this  request  could  be  carried  out,  Yewell  was  seen 
running  over  the  ice  towards  the  ships,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  he  came  on  board,  almost  out  of  breath,  with  the  in- 
formation that  Lieutenant  Taunt  had  found  a  message 
from  Greely  in  the  cairn  on  Brevoort  Island.  Yewell 
brought  the  papers  with  him,  and  called  out,  as  he  gave 
them  to  the  officer  of  the  deck,  that  Greely's  party  were  at 
Cape  Sabine,  all  well.    The  excitement  of  the  moment  was 


222  WORLD'f?  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Schlkt 

intense,  and  it  spread  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning  through 
both  the  ships.  It  was  decided  instantly  to  go  on  to  the 
Cape,  and  a  general  recall  was  sounded  by  three  long  blasts 
from  the  steam-whistle  of  the  "  Thetis." 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  before  taking  definite  action 
was  to  go  carefully  over  the  papers  that  Taunt  had  found. 
All  the  oflScers  who  had  remained  behind  in  the  two  ships 
gathered  around  the  wardroom  table  of  the  "  Thetis,"  and 
the  records  were  hurriedly  read  aloud.  As  one  paper  after 
another  was  quickly  turned  over,  until  the  last  was  reached, 
it  was  discovered  with  horror  that  the  latest  date  borne  by 
any  of  them  was  October  21,  1883,  and  that  but  forty  days' 
complete  rations  were  left  to  live  upon.  Eight  months  had 
elapsed  since  then,  and  the  belief  was  almost  irresistible 
that  the  whole  party  must  have  perished  during  this  ter- 
rible period  of  waiting  and  watching  for  relief.  .  .  . 

It  was  a  wonderful  story.  It  told  how  the  expedition, 
during  its  two  years  at  Lady  Franklin  Bay,  had  marked 
out  the  interior  of  Grinnell  Land,  and  how  Lockwood  had 
followed  the  northern  shore  of  Greenland,  and  had  re- 
claimed for  America  the  honor  of  "the  farthest  north." 
But  there  was  no  time  now  to  think  of  what  the  expe- 
dition had  accomplished ;  that  was  already  a  matter  of 
history.  The  pressing  question  was,  Where  was  Greely's 
party  now  ?  and  to  that  question  it  was  too  probable  that 
there  was  but  one  answer. 

The  records  had  named  the  wreck-cache  as  the  site  of 
Greely's  camp,  and  preparations  were  made  at  once  to  go 
there.  The  cutter,  with  Colwell  and  his  party  on  board, 
had  not  yet  got  away,  having  been  stopped  by  the  cries 
from  the  shore,  and  she  now  steamed  back  under  the  stern 
of  the  "  Thetis."  Colwell  was  directed  to  go  to  the  site  of 
the  cache  and  look  for  the  explorers ;  and  if  any  were  alive, 
— of  which  the  record  gave  little  hope, — to  tell  them  that 


SCHLBTJ  RESCUED  FROM  DEATH.  223 

relief  was  close  at  hand.  As  he  was  about  to  leave,  he 
called  out  for  a  boat-flag,  and  one  was  thrown  to  him  from 
the  ship.  This  was  bent  on  a  boat-hook  and  set  up  in  the 
stern  of  the  boat. 

Before  the  cutter  had  disappeared  to  the  northward  the 
commander  of  the  expedition  had  gone  on  board  the 
"  Bear,"  and  the  ship  was  under  way,  following  the  track 
of  the  cutter  around  the  cape.  The  detachment  under 
Harlow,  which  had  found  Greely's  scientific  records  and 
instruments  on  Stalknecht  Island,  and  the  other  party 
under  Melville,  some  of  whom  had  not  yet  returned,  were 
to  come  after  in  the  "  Thetis,"  which  was  left  behind  to 
pick  them  up.  The  passage  which  the  ships  and  the  cut- 
ter were  to  make  was  about  six  miles,  although  from  Payer 
Harbor  to  the  wreck-cache,  in  a  straight  line,  across  the 
rugged  neck  of  intervening  land,  it  was  less  than  half  that 
distance.  Fortunately,  the  southerly  gale  had  set  the  ice 
off  shore  into  Kane  Sea,  leaving  a  clear  passage  around  for 
the  vessels. 

It  was  half-past  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening  as  the  cut- 
ter steamed  around  the  rocky  bluif  of  Cape  Sabine  and 
made  her  way  to  the  cove,  four  miles  farther  on,  which 
Colwell  remembered  so  well  from  his  hurried  landing  with 
the  stores  on  the  terrible  night  following  the  wreck  of  the 
"  Proteus."  The  storm,  which  had  been  raging  with  only 
slight  intervals  since  early  the  day  before,  still  kept  up, 
and  the  wind  was  driving  in  bitter  gusts  through  the  open- 
ings in  the  ridge  that  followed  the  coast  to  the  westward. 
Although  the  sky  was  overcast,  it  was  broad  daylight, — 
the  daylight  of  a  dull  winter  afternoon, — and  as  the  cutter 
passed  along,  Colwell  could  recognize  the  familiar  land- 
marks of  the  year  before  ;  the  long  sweep  of  the  rocky 
coast,  with  its  ice-foot  spanning  every  cove,  the  snow  gath- 
ered in  the  crevices,  the  projecting  headlands,  and  the  Une 


224  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Schlky 

of  the  ice-pack  which  had  ground  up  the  "Proteus,"  dimly 
seen  in  the  mists  to  the  north,  across  the  tossing  waters  of 
Kane  Sea.  At  last  the  boat  arrived  at  the  site  of  the 
wreck-cache,  and  the  shore  was  eagerly  scanned,  but  noth- 
ing could  be  seen.  Hounding  the  next  point,  the  cutter 
opened  out  the  cove  beyond.  There,  on  the  toj)  of  a  little 
ridge,  fifty  or  sixty  yards  above  the  ice-foot,  was  plainly 
outlined  the  figure  of  a  man.  Instantly  the  coxswain 
caught  up  the  boat-hook  and  waved  his  flag.  The  man  on 
the  ridge  had  seen  them,  for  he  stooped,  picked  up  a  signal- 
flag  from  the  rock,  and  waved  it  in  reply.  Then  he  was 
seen  coming  slowly  and  cautiously  down  the  steep  rocky 
slope.  Twice  he  fell  down  before  he  reached  the  foot.  As 
he  approached,  still  walking  feebly  and  with  difficulty, 
Colwell  hailed  him  from  the  bow  of  the  boat. 

"  Who  all  are  there  left  ?" 

"  Seven  left." 

As  the  cutter  struck  the  ice,  Colwell  jumped  off  and  went 
up  to  him.  He  was  a  ghastly  sight.  His  cheeks  were  hol- 
low, his  eyes  wild,  his  hair  and  beard  long  and  matted. 
His  army  blouse,  covering  several  thicknesses  of  shirts  and 
jackets,  was  ragged  and  dirty.  He  wore  a  little  fur  cap 
and  rough  moccasins  of  untanned  leather  tied  around  the 
leg.  As  he  spoke,  his  utterance  was  thick  and  mumbling, 
and  in  his  agitation  his  jaws  worked  in  convulsive  twitches. 
As  the  two  met,  the  man,  with  a  sudden  impulse,  took  off 
his  glove  and  shook  Colwell's  hand. 

"  Where  are  they  ?"  asked  Colwell,  briefly. 

"In  the  tent,"  said  the  man,  pointing  over  his  shoulder; 
"  over  the  hill ;  the  tent  is  down." 
,    '-Is  Mr.  Greely  alive?" 

"  Yes,  Greely's  alive." 

"  Any  other  officers  ?" 

"  No."     Then  he  repeated,  absently,  "  The  tent  is  down." 


ScHLKY]  RESCUED   FROM  DEATH.  225 

"  Who  are  you  ?" 

"  Long." 

Before  this  colloquy  was  over  Lowe  and  Norman  had 
started  up  the  hill.  Hastily  filling  his  pockets  with  bread, 
and  taking  the  two  cans  of  pemmican,  Colwell  told  the  cox- 
swain to  take  Long  into  the  cutter,  and  started  after  the 
others  with  Ash.  Beaching  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  and 
looking  southward,  they  saw  spread  out  before  them  a  des- 
olate expanse  of  rocky  ground,  sloping  gradually  from  a 
ridge  on  the  east  to  the  ice-covered  shore,  which  at  the 
west  made  in  and  formed  a  cove.  Back  of  the  level  space 
was  a  range  of  hills  rising  up  eight  hundred  feet,  with  a 
precipitous  face,  broken  in  two  by  a  gorge,  thi'ough  which 
the  wind  was  blowing  furiously.  On  a  little  elevation 
directly  in  front  was  the  tent.  Hurrying  on  across  the  in- 
tervening hollow,  Colwell  came  up  with  Lowe  and  Norman 
just  as  they  were  greeting  a  soldierly-looking  man  who 
had  come  out  from  the  tent. 

As  Colwell  approached,  Norman  was  saying  to  the  man, — 

"There  is  the  lieutenant." 

And  he  added  to  Colwell, — 

"  This  is  Sergeant  Brainard." 

Brainard  immediately  di'ew  himself  up  to  the  position 
of  the  soldier,  and  was  about  to  salute  when  Colwell  took 
his  hand. 

At  this  moment  there  was  a  confused  murmur  within  the 
tent,  and  a  voice  said, — 

"  Who's  there  ?" 

Norman  answered,  "  It's  Norman, — Norman  who  was 
in  the  '  Proteus.'  " 

This  was  followed  by  cries  of  "  Oh,  it's  Norman !"  and  a 
sound  like  a  feeble  cheer. 

Meanwhile,  one  of  the  relief  party,  who  in  his  agitation 

and  excitement  was  crying  like  a  child,  was  down  on  his 

Vol.  I— 15 


226  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Schley 

hands  and  knees  trying  to  roll  away  the  stones  that  held 
down  the  flapping  tent  cloth.  The  tent  was  a  "  tepik,"  or 
wigwam  tent,  with  a  fly  attached.  The  fly,  with  its  posts 
and  ridge-pole,  had  been  wrecked  by  the  gale  which  had 
been  blowing  for  thirty-six  hours,  and  the  pole  of  the  tepik 
was  toppling  over,  and  only  kept  in  place  by  the  guy-ropes. 
There  was  no  entrance  except  under  the  flap  opening, 
which  was  held  down  by  stones.  Colwell  called  for  a  knife, 
cut  a  slit  in  the  tent-cover,  and  looked  in. 

It  was  a  sight  of  horror.  On  one  side,  close  to  the  open- 
ing, with  his  head  towards  the  outside,  lay  what  was 
apparently  a  dead  man.  His  jaw  had  dropped,  his  eyes 
were  open,  but  fixed  and  glassy,  his  limbs  were  motionless. 
On  the  opposite  was  a  poor  fellow,  alive  to  be  sure,  but 
without  hands  or  feet,  and  with  a  spoon  tied  to  the  stump 
of  his  right  arm.  Two  others  seated  on  the  ground,  in  the 
middle,  had  just  got  down  a  rubber  bottle  that  hung  on  the 
tent-pole,  and  were  pouring  from  it  into  a  tin  can.  Directly 
opposite,  on  his  hands  and  knees,  was  a  dark  man  with  a 
long  matted  beard,  in  a  dirty  and  tattered  dressing-gown, 
with  a  little  red  skull-cap  on  his  head,  and  brilliant  staring 
eyes.  As  Colwell  appeared,  he  raised  himself  a  little,  and 
put  on  a  pair  of  eye-glasses. 

"  Who  are  you  ?"  asked  Colwell. 

The  man  made  no  answer,  staring  at  him  vacantly. 

"  Who  are  you  ?"  again. 

One  of  the  men  spoke  up :  "  That's  the  major, — ^Major 
Greely." 

Colwell  crawled  in  and  took  him  by  the  hand,  saying  to 
him,  "  Greely,  is  this  you  ?" 

"  Yes,"  said  Greely  in  a  faint  broken  voice,  hesitating 
and  shuffling  with  his  words,  "  yes — seven  of  us  left — here 
we  are — dying — like  men.  Did  what  I  came  to  do — beat 
the  best  record." 


Schley]  RESCUED   FROM  DEATH.  227 

Then  he  fell  back  exhausted. 

The  four  men  in  the  tent  with  Greely  were  two  sergeants, 
Elison  and  Fredericks ;  Bierderbick,  the  hospital  steward  ; 
and  Private  Connell,  who,  with  Brainard  and  Long,  were 
all  that  remained  of  the  twenty-five  members  of  the  Lady 
Franklin  Bay  Expedition.  The  scene,  as  Colwell  looked 
around,  was  one  of  misery  and  squalor.  The  rocky  floor 
was  covered  with  cast-off  clothes,  and  among  them  were 
huddled  together  the  sleeping-bags  in  which  the  party  had 
spent  most  of  their  time  during  the  last  few  months. 
There  was  no  food  left  in  the  tent  but  two  or  three  cans 
of  a  thin,  repulsive-looking  jelly,  made  by  boiling  strips  cut 
from  the  seal-skin  clothing.  The  bottle  on  the  tent-pole 
still  held  a  few  teaspoonfuls  of  brandy,  but  it  was  their 
last,  and  they  were  sharing  it  as  Colwell  entered;  it  was 
evident  that  most  of  them  had  not  long  to  live.  .  .  . 

As  soon  as  Colwell  understood  the  condition  of  affairs,  he 
sent  Chief-Engineer  Lowe  back  to  the  cutter  to  put  off  to 
the  "  Bear"  with  Long,  to  report  what  had  happened,  and 
bring  off  the  others  with  the  surgeon  and  stimulants. 
Fredericks  and  Bierderbick  pi'esently  got  up  and  came  out. 
Colwell  gave  them,  as  well  as  Greely  and  Elison,  a  little  of 
the  biscuit  he  had  in  his  pocket,  which  they  munched 
slowly  and  deliberately.  Then  he  gave  them  another  bit, 
while  Norman  opened  one  of  the  cans  of  pemmican. 
Scraping  off  a  little  with  a  knife,  Colwell  fed  them  slowly 
by  turns.  It  was  a  pitiable  sight.  They  could  not  stand 
up,  and  had  dropped  down  on  their  knees,  and  held  out 
their  hands  begging  for  more.  After  they  had  each  been 
fed  twice,  they  were  told  that  they  had  had  enough,  that 
they  could  not  eat  more  then  without  danger ;  but  their 
hunger  had  now  come  back  with  full  force,  and  they  begged 
piteously  to  be  helped  again,  protesting  that  it  could  do 
them  no  harm.     Colwell  was  wisely  deaf  to  their  entreaties 


228  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Schlkt 

and  threw  away  the  can.  When  Greely  found  that  he  was 
refused  he  took  out  a  can  of  the  boiled  seal-skin,  which  had 
been  carefully  husbanded,  and  which  he  said  he  had  a 
right  to  eat,  as  it  was  his  own.  This  was  taken  away 
from  him,  but  while  Colwell  was  at  work  trying  to  raise 
the  tent,  some  one  got  the  half-emptied  can  of  pemmican, 
and  by  the  time  it  was  discovered  had  eaten  its  contents. 

The  weaker  ones  were  like  children,  petulant,  rambling 
and  fitful  in  their  talk,  absent,  and  sometimes  a  little  in- 
coherent. While  they  were  waiting  for  the  return  of  the 
boat,  Colwell  and  the  ice-masters  did  their  best  to  cheer 
them  up  by  telling  them  that  relief  was  at  hand,  and  that 
the  others  would  soon  arrive.  They  could  not  realize  it, 
and  refused  to  believe  it.  So  they  were  humored,  and  by 
way  of  taking  up  their  thoughts,  Colwell  told  them  some- 
thing of  what  had  been  going  on  in  the  world  during  their 
three  years  of  exile.  Curiously  enough,  there  was  much 
that  they  knew  already.  It  turned  out  that  among  the 
stores  from  the  "  Proteus"  were  two  boxes  of  lemons,  and  the 
fruit  had  been  wrapped  up  in  scraps  of  English  newspapers, 
— "  those  lemons  which  j^our  dear  wife  put  up  for  us,"  as 
one  of  them  said  to  Colwell  in  a  moment  of  wandering 
fancy.  The  latter  could  only  disclaim  the  imaginary  ob- 
ligation to  an  imaginary  person,  but  the  imjDression  had 
already  faded. 

As  Greely  complained  of  cold,  Colwell  gave  him  his 
gloves,  and  persuaded  him  to  go  back  to  his  sleeping-bag. 
This  was  lying  under  the  fallen  tent-cloth,  which  the  party 
had  been  too  weak  or  too  discouraged  to  raise  up  and  dis- 
engage. Where  the  single  remaining  pole  supported  the 
tent  there  was  a  clear  8j)ace  of  perhaps  six  feet,  just 
enough  for  a  man  to  stand  upright,  but  around  it  the  can- 
vas was  lying  on  the  ground.  The  bag,  from  which  Greely 
had  hardly  moved   for  a   month,   was    found   under   the 


Schley]  RESCUED   FROM  DEATH.  229 

canvas,  and  by  the  united  efforts  of  the  three  men  the  tent 
was  partly  raised. 

Meanwhile,  the  '•  Bear"  had  arrived  and  Lowe  had  gone 
off  in  the  cutter,  taking  with  him  Sergeant  Long.  Long  was 
too  weak  to  get  on  board  Avithout  assistance,  and  was  lifted 
over  the  side  by  some  of  the  crew  and  taken  to  a  chair  in 
the  wardroom.  In  reply  to  questions  about  the  j)arty  and 
their  condition,  Long,  in  a  husky  voice,  told  his  story  :  that 
all  were  dead  except  Greely  and  five  others,  who  were  on 
shore  in  "sore  distress — sore  distress  ;"  that  they  had  had 
a  hard  winter,  and  "  the  wonder  was  how  in  God's  name 
they  had  pulled  through."  No  words  can  describe  the 
pathos  of  this  man's  broken  and  enfeebled  utterance  as  he 
said,  over  and  over,  "  a  hard  winter — a  hard  winter ;"  and 
the  officers  who  were  gathered  about  him  in  the  wardroom 
felt  an  emotion  which  most  of  them  were  at  little  pains  to 
conceal.  The  first  sign  of  the  relief  expedition  which  had 
reached  the  camp  was  the  sound  from  the  steam  whistle  of 
the  "  Thetis,"  recalhng  the  shore  parties  at  Payer  Harbor. 
Lieutenant  Greely,  lying  on  the  ground  in  his  tent,  had 
heard  it,  as  it  was  borne  faintly  over  the  neck  of  laud,  but 
the  others  had  not  noticed  it  in  the  roaring  wind,  and 
when  he  told  them  he  had  heard  a  steamer's  whistle,  they 
thought  it  only  the  impression  of  his  disturbed  imagination. 
Long  crawled  out  of  the  tent  and,  bracing  himself  against 
the  wind,  struggled  up  to  the  ridge ;  but  nothing  could 
be  seen  but  the  rocky  coast,  and  the  ice-foot,  and  the 
chopping  sea  with  the  pack  stretching  off  in  the  distance. 
It  was  a  bitter  disappointment.  Long  went  back  dis- 
heartened, but  after  waiting  uneasily  awhile  longer,  he 
mounted  the  ridge  a  second  time.  Still  there  was  nothing 
to  be  seen  but  the  same  hopeless  prospect,  and  ho  was 
about  to  return  again  when  the  cutter  came  into  view 
around  the  point  above.     After  all  these  months  of  waiting 


230  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Collis 

it  was  hard  to  believe  that  he  was  not  dreaming,  but  when 
he  saw  the  coxswain  wave  the  famiUar  flag,  he  knew  that 
relief  had  come  at  last. 

[The  conclusion  of  the  story  is  longer  than  we  have  space  to  give. 
It  will  suffice  to  say  that  the  survivors  were  gradually  brought  back  to 
life  and  health,  and  that  the  living  and  the  bodies  of  the  dead  alike 
were  brought  back  to  the  United  States ;  and  that  in  the  robust- 
appearing  General  Greely  of  to-day  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  the 
terrible  strain  of  that  dread  winter  in  the  realm  of  ice.  J 


THE  MUIR  GLACIER. 

SEPTIMA   M.  COLLIS. 

["No  other  country  in  the  world  possesses  so  many  unique  wonders 
of  nature  as  the  United  States.  The  Yosemite  Valley,  Yellowstone 
Park,  Mammoth  Cave,  Niagara  Falls,  and  Sequoia  Groves  each  stands 
alone  in  its  peculiar  beauty  or  grandeur ;  and  to  these  we  may  add  the 
Muir  Glacier  in  Alaska,  before  which  the  famous  glaciers  of  the  Alps 
shrink  into  insignificance,  and  which  has  no  rival  outside  the  Arctic 
zone.  "A  Woman's  Trip  to  Alaska,"  by  Mrs.  Collis,  gives  a  vivid 
and  picturesque  description  of  this  glacial  wonder,  which  we  here  ap- 
pend. The  sketch  given  is  preceded  by  a  statistical  one,  in  which  we 
are  told  that  this  glacier  sheds  from  its  front  "  one  hundred  and  sixty 
million  cubic  feet  of  ice  every  twenty-four  hours."] 

The  previous  chapter  has  briefly  outlined  the  main  facts 
within  my  knowledge  concerning  the  Muir  Glacier  which 
I  had  gathered  from  my  reading,  and  upon  which  I  had 
to  create  the  image  of  what  I  expected  to  see.  True,  I  had 
seen  photographs  of  it ;  yes,  and  I  had  seen  photographs 
of  the  Canon  of  the  Yellowstone,  and  of  the  Nevada 
Falls,  and  of  Niagara,  just  as  I  have  seen  paste  diamonds ; 
I  knew  their  shapes,  and  that  is  all  I  ever  gathered  from 


Col  lis]  THE  MUIR   GLACIER.  231 

their  portraits.  Neither  the  expression,  nor  the  comjjlexion, 
nor  the  sound  of  the  voice  of  nature  are  to  be  found  upon 
the  dull  surface  of  the  photograph ;  you  simply  get  the 
general  lines,  some  of  the  shadows,  very  ei'roneous  perspec- 
tive, and  that  is  all.  We  had  come  to  a  stand-still  while  we 
were  at  lunch.  I  had  observed  the  slackening  of  speed ; 
next  the  stoppage  of  the  machinery;  then  the  absolute 
stillness  of  the  ship  ;  and  finally  a  darkening  of  the  saloon. 
We  were  evidently  at  a  halt  under  the  shadow  of  some  im- 
mense elevation.  A  passenger  on  tiptoe  looked  through 
the  port-hole,  and  uttered  an  exclamation  of  amazement ; 
then  we  all  rushed  to  similar  apertures ;  climbed  on  the 
chairs ;  looked  over  [the  men's  shoulders ;  in  fact,  did  all 
kinds  of  unreasonable  things,  and  at  last  stampeded  up  the 
companion-way  to  the  deck. 

I  pray  heaven  that  neither  age  nor  infirmity  may  ever 
efface  from  my  memory  the  sight  and  the  sensation  of  that 
moment.  To  say  that  I  was  transfixed,  speechless,  fasci- 
nated to  intoxication  by  the  spell  of  this  marvellous  devel- 
opment is  no  exaggeration.  Those  who  reached  the  deck 
first  seemed  paralyzed,  halted,  and  thus  blockaded  the  way 
for  those  who  wore  to  follow;  others  kept  within  the  saloon 
from  choice,  as  though  they  dreaded  some  phenomenal 
convulsion.  I  wedged  my  way  as  best  I  could,  after  the 
first  shock  of  amazement  had  subsided,  up  to  the  very  bow 
of  the  ship. 

Upon  each  side  of  me,  half  a  mile  away,  rose  the  same 
old  mountains  which  I  had  seen  everywhere  from  Tacoma 
north  ;  at  my  feet  the  same  Pacific  Ocean,  but  in  front  of 
me,  apparently  so  close  that  I  could  almost  reach  it  with 
my  fingers,  the  perpendicular  wall  of  a  caiion,  not  of 
rock,  nor  clay,  nor  grass,  nor  forest,  but  of  ice, — a  wall  of 
ice  a  mile  in  length  ;  and  when  I  say  a  mile,  I  mean  over 
eighteen  hundred  yards  of  it ;  and  when  I  speak  of  ice,  I  do 


232  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Collis 

not  mean  the  sooty,  porous  stuff  that  lodges  in  the  valleys 
of  the  Alps ;  I  mean  the  veritable,  pure,  clear,  crystal  ice 
of  the  ice-pitcher.  A  wall  a  hundred  yards  high,  and  in 
some  places  towering  up  an  additional  fifty ;  a  wall  ex- 
tending down  deeper  in  the  ocean  than  it  reaches  from  the 
ocean  to  the  sky ;  hard  as  adamant,  sharp  and  edged  like 
flint,  aqua-marine  in  color,  deepening  towards  the  water 
into  indigo,  tipped  on  the  summits  and  projections  with  a 
froth  of  snow.  If  I  did  not  know  that  it  was  ice,  I  should 
believe  that  it  was  glass.  If  I  did  not  know  that  it  was 
the  work  of  the  Creator,  I  should  believe  that  here  had 
assembled  a  convocation  of  architects,  who  in  their  collec- 
tive ingenuity  had  reproduced  a  combination  of  the  chefs- 
d'cEuvre  of  their  art;  for  here  were  the  buttresses  of  the 
English  abbeys,  and  flying  buttresses  of  ]!>fotre  Dame,  tur- 
rets of  the  Normans,  towers  of  the  early  English,  spires 
of  the  cathedral  in  Cologne,  wonderful  unoccupied  niches, 
pilasters  of  the  purest  white  marble  and  green  malachite, 
and  decorative  carving  and  high  polish  worthy  of  Cellini. 

It  was  a  cloudy  day,  yet  the  front  glistened  with  pris- 
matic splendor.  What  will  it  be,  I  asked  myself,  if  in  the 
afternoon  the  setting  sun  shall  light  it  up  ?  But  we  are 
too  close  to  it  for  our  own  safety,  we  learn,  and  are  slowly 
moved  back  half  a  mile,  where  our  anchor  is  dropped  and 
preparations  are  made  to  row  us  on  shore  to  climb  to  the 
top  of  the  glacier.  While  we  are  moving  a  sharp  detona- 
tion rings  out  like  the  firing  of  a  rifle,  and  one  of  the 
beautiful  spires  on  the  crest  of  the  very  centre  of  the  wall 
is  shivered  into  atoms,  and  its  fragments  fall  with  a  splash 
four  hundred  feet.  Later  there  is  a  report  as  of  a  cannon, 
but  without  result ;  this,  we  are  told,  is  the  parting  of  the 
sea  of  ice  somewhere  far  back  in  its  mountain  home. 
Presently  two  similar  explosions,  evidently  right  close  to 
us,  followed  by  rumbling  echoes,  and  over  topples  a  huge 


MUIR      GLACIER,    ALASKA 


fe 


^r 


•r 


Col  lis]  THE  MUIR   GLACIER.  233 

mass  weighing  tons,  which  sinks  so  far  that  several  seconds 
elapse  before  it  rises  to  the  surface,  swaying  to  and  fro 
until  it  finds  its  equilibrium,  and  then  floats  down  the  cur- 
rent, one  more  turquoise  gem  added  to  the  chain  which 
precedes  it. 

And  this  continued  all  day,  sometimes  at  intervals  of 
seconds  only,  sometimes  of  half  an  hour,  and  when  we  re- 
tired at  night  the  explosion  and  the  splash  became  as 
monotonous  and  periodical  as  the  tinkling  of  the  street-car 
bell  or  the  footstep  of  the  passer-by  does  at  home.  There 
was  one  tremendous  breaking-off  towards  evening;  the 
sun,  as  we  had  hoped,  was  out  in  full  glory,  and  at  the 
distance  from  which  we  now  viewed  the  glacier  it  was  a 
mountain  of  snow-covered  ice  chopped  off  in  front.  For 
many  miles  we  could  see  over  and  beyond  the  facade,  as 
though  looking  at  a  great  river  of  snow ;  yet  the  fagado 
itself  was  a  face  of  corrugated  emerald,  reflecting  the  sun's 
rays  at  every  imaginable  angle,  and  changing  and  scintil- 
lating with  every  movement  of  the  ship. 

Suddenly,  near  the  centre,  the  top  began  to  incline  for- 
ward, and  the  whole  face  of  probably  twenty  yards  in 
width,  from  the  top  of  the  glacier  to  the  bottom  of  the 
bay,  fell  outward  as  a  ladder  would  fall,  without  a  break 
anywhere.  There  was  a  tremendous  upheaving  of  the 
water,  of  course ;  then  the  report  of  the  invariable  explo- 
sion reached  us,  but  no  trace  remained  of  the  fallen  ice, 
save  the  swell  in  the  water,  which  had  almost  reached  and' 
rocked  the  steamer.  I  do  not  know  how  much  time 
elapsed  before  the  lovely  thing  rose  to  the  surface,  but  it 
seemed  an  age,  and  then  it  came  in  a  dozen  pieces,  each  of 
the  same  exquisite  diaphanous  blue,  which,  as  they  ap- 
proached us  gradually,  changed  to  a  clear  transparent 
sapphire. 

If  it  will  help  to  serve  the  purpose  of  giving  a  just  idea 


234  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Collis 

of  the  colossal  proportions  of  the  scene  I  endeavor  to  de- 
scribe, let  me  say  that  the  Capitol  at  Washington,  the  City- 
Hall  in  Philadelphia,  the  Cathedral,  the  Equitable,  and  the 
Mills  Buildings  in  New  York,  and  all  the  mammoth  news- 
paper offices  in  the  same  city  might  be  floated  in  front  of 
the  Muir  Grlaeier,  and  yet  its  emerald  walls  would  overtop 
and  engulf  them  all.  As  a  contrast  to  all  that  is  pure  and 
chaste  in  the  scene  before  us,  there  rushes  out  from  the 
eastern  end  of  the  glacier  a  subglacial  stream  of  thick, 
dirty  water,  much  resembling,  as  it  boils  up  from  its  cav- 
ernous outlet,  the  mud  geyser  of  the  Yellowstone.  This  is 
a  perpetually  flowing  river,  charged  with  sediment  and 
debris  from  the  scouring  process  produced  by  the  friction 
of  the  moving  ice  along  its  bed  of  rock  ;  it  gives  the  water 
in  the  inlet  a  thick,  gray  color,  utterly  destroying  the 
charm  of  its  otherwise  transparent  character. 

If  you  are  amiable  enough  to  say  that  what  I  have 
written  gives  a  sufficiently  correct  idea  of  what  you  expect 
to  see,  I  beg  to  diff'er  from  you.  No  camera,  no  pencil,  no 
vocabulary,  can  do  more  than  produce  a  desire  to  see  for 
one's  self.  I  can  only  say  that  it  has  been  my  fortune  to 
behold  much  that  is  grand  in  nature  and  in  art  at  home 
and  abroad,  but  the  hours  spent  at  Muir  Glacier  made  the 
great  event  of  my  life.  If  God  spares  me,  I  hope  to  see  it 
often.  And  fearing  I  might  be  accused  of  exaggeration, 
which  is  far  from  my  desire,  for  I  am  searching  in  vain  for 
superlatives  which  would  do  the  subject  justice,  let  me 
quote  from  others  who  preceded  me,  and  all  of  whom  havo 
established  their  reputation  as  authorities. 

Miss  Kate  Field  says,  "In  Switzerland  a  glacier  is  a 
vast  bed  of  dirty,  air-holed  ice  that  has  fastened  itself,  like 
a  cold  porous  plaster,  to  the  side  of  an  Alp.  Distance  alone 
lends  enchantment  to  the  view.  In  Alaska  a  glacier  is  a 
wonderful  torrent  that  seems  to  have  been  suddenly  frozen 


CoLLis]  THE  MUIR   GLACIER.  235 

when  about  to  plunge  into  the  sea.  .  .  .  Think  of  Niagara 
Falls  frozen  stiff,  add  thirty-six  feet  to  its  height,  and  you 
have  a  slight  idea  of  the  terminus  of  Muir  Glacier,  in  front 
of  which  your  steamer  anchors ;  piqture  a  background  of 
mountains  fifteen  thousand  feet  high,  all  snow-clad,  and 
then  imagine  a  gorgeous  sun  lighting  up  the  ice-crystals 
with  rainbow  coloring.  The  face  of  the  glacier  takes  on 
the  hue  of  aqua-marine,  the  hue  of  every  bit  of  floating 
ice,  big  and  little,  that  surround  the  steamer  and  make 
navigation  serious.  These  dazzling  serpents  move  at  the 
rate  of  sixty-four  feet  a  day,  tumbling  headlong  into  the 
sea,  and,  as  they  fall,  the  ear  is  startled  by  submarine 
thunder,  the  echoes  of  which  resound  far  and  near.  Down, 
down,  down  goes  the  berg,  and  woe  to  the  boat  in  its  way 
when  it  rises  again  to  the  surface." 

Charles  Hallock  in  "  Our  New  Alaska,"  pp.  172-733 :  "  The 
glacier  wall  overhung  us  with  its  mighty  majesty,  three 
times  the  height  of  the  steamer's  mast  or  more,  and  we 
seemed  none  too  far  away  to  escape  the  constantly  cleaving 
masses  which  dropped  from  its  face  with  deafening  deto- 
nations. The  foam  which  gathered  from  the  impetus  of 
the  plunges  surged  upward  fully  two-thirds  of  the  height 
of  the  cliff,  and  the  resulting  swell  tossed  the  large  steamer 
like  a  toy,  and  rolled  up  in  breakers  of  surf  upon  the  beach. 
.  .  .  The  glacier  is  by  no  means  smooth,  but  is  seamed  and 
riven  in  every  part  by  clefts  and  fissures.  It  is  hollowed 
into  caverns  and  grottos,  hung  with  massive  stalactites, 
and  fashioned  into  pinnacles  and  domes.  Every  section 
and  configuration  has  its  heart  of  translucent  blue  or  green, 
interlaced  or  bordered  by  fretted  frostwork  of  intensest 
white,  so  that  the  appearance  is  at  all  times  gnome-liko 
and  supernatural.  .  .  . 

"  I  cannot  conceive  how  any  one  can  sit  by  and  contem- 
plate without  emotion  the  stupendous  throes  which  give 


236  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Collis 

birth  to  the  icebergs,  attended  with  detonations  like  explo- 
sions of  artillery,  and  reverberations  of  thunder  across  the 
sky,  and  the  mighty  wreckage  which  follows  each  convul- 
sion. Nevertheless,  I  have  seen  a  lady  loll  with  com- 
plaisance in  her  steamer  chair  comfortably  wrapped  for 
the  chilly  air,  and  observe  the  astounding  scene  with  the 
same  languid  contemplation  that  she  would  discuss  her 
social  fixtures  and  appointments.  Zounds!  I  believe  that 
such  a  human  negation  would  calmly  view  the  wrecks  of 
worlds  and  hear  the  crack  of  doom  at  the  final  renderincr, 
if  it  did  not  affect  her  set.  She  could  watch,  at  a  suitable 
distance,  the  agony  of  Christian  martyrs,  the  carnage  of 
great  battles,  the  sweep  of  cyclones,  the  diluvial  sub- 
mergence. Dynamite  would  not  appall  her,  but  to  me  it 
would  be  the  acme  of  satisfaction,  ineffably  supreme,  to 
startle  such  clods  of  inanition  by  a  cry  of  mouse,  and  elec- 
trify'- them  into  momentary  emotion.  No  vinaigrette  would 
ever  mitigate  the  shock."  .  .  . 

Mrs.  E.  E.  Scidmore,  in"  Journeys  in  Alaska,"  says,  "  Ava- 
lanches of  crumbling  snow  and  great  pieces  of  the  front 
were  continually  falling  with  the  roar  and  crash  of  artil- 
lery, revealing  new  caverns  and  rifts  of  deeper  blue  light, 
while  the  spray  dashed  high  and  the  great  waves  rolled 
along  the  icy  wall,  and,  widening  in  their  sweep,  washed 
the  blocks  of  floating  ice  up  on  the  beaches  on  either  side. 
.  .  .  The  nearer  one  approached  the  higher  the  ice-walls 
seemed,  and  all  along  the  front  there  were  pinnacles  and 
spires  weighing  several  tons,  that  seemed  on  the  point  of 
toppling  every  moment.  The  great  buttresses  of  ice  that 
rose  first  from  the  water  and  touched  the  moraine  were  as 
solidly  white  as  marble,  veined  and  streaked  with  rocks 
and  mud,  but  farther  on,  as  the  pressure  was  greater,  the 
color  slowly  deepened  to  turquoise  and  sapphire  blues." 

Alexander  Badlam,  in  his  "  Wonders  of  Alaska,"  p.  42, 


Col  lis]  THE  MUIR   GLACIER.  237 

quotes  Professor  Muir  himself  as  saying  that  the  front 
and  brow  of  the  glacier  were  "  dashed  and  sculptured  into 
a  maze  of  yawning  chasm,  ravines,  canons,  crevasses,  and 
a  bewildering  chaos  of  architectural  forms,  beautiful  be- 
yond the  measure  of  description,  and  so  bewildering  in 
their  beauty  as  to  almost  make  the  spectator  believe  he 
was  revelling  in  a  dream."  "  There  were,"  he  said,  "  great 
clusters  of  glistening  spires,  gables,  obelisks,  monoliths,  and 
castles,  standing  out  boldly  against  the  sky,  with  bastion 
and  mural,  surmounted  by  fretted  cornice,  and  every  inter- 
stice and  chasm  reflecting  a  sheen  of  scintillating  light  and 
deep-blue  shadow,  making  a  combination  of  color,  dazzling, 
startling,  and  enchanting." 

The  next  sensation  in  store  for  the  tourist  is  the  climb  to 
the  top  of  the  glacier.  All  the  row-boats  were  lowered,  and 
about  a  dozen  passengers  in  each,  armed  with  alpenstocks, 
were  ferried  in  successive  groups  from  the  ship  to  the  east- 
ern beach,  a  distance  of  perhaps  half  a  mile,  instructions 
being  given  to  each  steersman  to  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for 
falling  icebergs.  And  here  your  trouble  commences  unless 
you  are  well  advised.  The  ascent  is  exceedingly  difficult ; 
what  looks  like  a  mountain  of  rock  over  which  you  must 
wend  your  way  to  the  ice-fields,  is  really  a  mountain  of  ice 
covered  by  a  layer  of  slimy  mud,  crusted  with  pieces  of 
flinty  granite,  standing  up  on  end  like  broken  bottle  glass 
on  top  of  a  wall.  I  wore  India-rubber  high  boots  when  I 
started,  and  I  needed  crutches  before  I  finished.  It  may 
be  chilly  as  you  leave  the  ship,  according  as  the  sun  may 
be  out  or  in ;  if  chilly,  get  your  escort  to  caiTy  an  extra 
shawl  for  you  to  wrap  yourself  in  when  you  row  back  to 
the  ship ;  if  the  weather  is  bright  and  warm,  clothe  your- 
self lightly,  for  it  grows  warmer  with  the  glare  from  the  ice 
and  the  physical  exertion.  Be  very  careful  where  you  step, 
and  if  you  are  wise  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  others ;  do  not 


238  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Collis 

undertake  to  lead,  else  one  foot  may  be  trying  to  ascertain 
the  depth  of  a  quagmire  and  the  other  exploring  a  fissure. 

After  an  ascent  of  perhaps  two  and  a  half  miles,  which 
Beem  more  like  ten,  you  will  find  yourself  on  the  edge  of 
a  frozen  sea,  frozen,  as  it  were,  while  in  the  throes  of  a 
tempest,  a  bay  of  storm-tossed  waves  solidified  as  by  a 
signal ;  and  this  extends  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach  up 
into  the  mountains  towards  the  north,  and  several  miles 
across  to  the  hills  upon  the  opposite  shore.  The  ice  is  by 
no  means  clear  or  brilliant,  on  the  contrary,  its  color  is 
milky  and  its  formation  honey-combed,  plastic,  porous,  and 
yielding  to  the  tread ;  besides  which  it  is  besmeared  with 
sediment  from  mountain  thaws  which  have  traversed  its 
rifts,  and  disfigured  by  fallen  logs  and  drift-wood. 

I  confess  if  I  visited  Muir  Glacier  a  hundred  times  I 
should  always  remain  on  deck  and  watch  the  pyrotechnics 
of  the  fagade  rather  than  undergo  the  thankless  fatigue  of 
climbing  to  the  top,  which  is  infinitely  more  laborious  than 
the  ascent  of  Vesuvius  on  foot  through  the  lava,  or  any 
work  to  be  done  on  the  trails  of  the  Yoseraite.  To  those 
who  are  willing  to  undertake  it,  however,  I  suggest  that 
when  they  have  ascended  the  first  mile,  which  will  bring 
them  on  a  line  with  the  top  of  the  wall  of  the  glacier,  they 
should  look  back  at  their  little  tiny  ship,  floating  like  the 
"  Maid  of  the  Mist"  beneath  Niagara,  to  fully  realize  the 
immense  proportions  of  the  glacier. 

It  is  said  that  persons  have  been  missed  and  never  again 
found  who  made  this  ascent,  and  I  know  that  at  least  one 
case  is  authentic,  that  of  a  young  clergyman,  who,  straying 
away  from  his  companions,  was  never  again  seen,  though 
the  most  diligent  search  was  made  for  him  by  his  friends 
and  the  ship's  crew.  A  slip  into  one  of  those  crevasses 
which  is  covered  by  a  thin  coat  of  ice,  means  to  be  precip- 
itated in  an  instant  to  a  depth  where  no  human  aid  can 


Harrison]        A   SUMMER   TRIP   TO  ALASKA.  239 

reach  you.  In  fact,  I  would  advise  all  who  wish  to  preserve 
the  impression  of  Muir  Glacier  in  its  pure,  idealized,  un- 
sullied grandeur,  to  stay  aboard  and  gaze  on  its  beautiful 
face. 

It  is  a  Persian  custom,  after  plucking  the  fruit,  to  tear  it 
asunder  in  the  middle,  hand  the  sunny  side  to  the  friend 
and  throw  the  other  half  away,  the  best  portion  being  the 
only  part  good  enough  for  those  they  love.  It  is  my  duty 
to  present  to  you  the  better  half  of  the  glacier  and  to  cast 
away  the  other.  Tired,  footsore,  and  muddy,  we  were  all 
early  in  bed,  and  while  dozing  to  sleep  I  was  much  im- 
pressed with  the  awful  stillness  of  the  hour ;  everybody 
had  retired,  not  even  the  tread  of  the  man  on  watch  was 
heard,  the  very  machinery  was  sleeping,  but  every  now 
and  then  there  was  a  splash  and  a  rejiort  and  an  echo  that 
brought  with  them  the  proof  that  the  forces  of  nature 
were  ever  awake,  and  that  what  was,  "  is,  and  ever  shall  be, 
world  without  end." 


A  SUMMER  TRIP  TO  ALASKA. 

JAMES   A.    HARRISON. 

[Nature  possesses  no  scenery  more  beautiful  than  that  to  be  found 
on  the  Pacific  coast  of  Washington  and  in  the  island  region  leading  to 
north  Alaska.  And  the  description  of  it  given  below  is  well  worth  re- 
production, for  its  poetic  appreciation  of  this  rich  scenic  route.] 

The  whole  fourteen  hundred — one  might  say  two  thou- 
sand— miles  of  coast  extending  from  Puget's  Sound  to 
Behring's  Strait  is  a  succession  of  beautiful  and  picturesque 
archipelagoes,  consisting  of  hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of 
islands,  through  which  there  are  countless  water-caves^ 
lakes,  bays,  inlets,  as  smooth  as  Lake  George  and  the  Hud- 


240  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.         [Harbison 

son,  and  far  more  lovely.  The  smoothness  of  the  water  is 
such  that  life  on  the  steamer  is  a  luxurious  rest,  and  the 
stimulating  coolness  of  the  air  in  summer  contributes  to 
pleasant  days  and  delightful  nights.  Our  summer  trip 
covered  about  two  thousand  five  hundred  miles  from  Port- 
land and  back,  and  we  had  ample  opportunities  to  stop  at 
the  various  settlements,  talk  with  the  Indians,  and  collect 
curiosities. 

On  leaving  Port  Townsend  early  in  August,  our  ship 
made  for  the  Straits  of  Georgia,  and  for  a  long  time  fol- 
lowed the  aqueous  boundary-line  between  the  British  and 
American  possessions.  The  fog  dissolved,  and  we  cauo-ht 
views  of  Smith's  Island,  Bellingham  Bay,  and  other  points. 
The  scenery  became  river-like,  the  strait  now  opening  into 
waveless  lakes,  now  contracting,  like  the  neck  of  a  bottle, 
into  channels  where  there  were  counter-currents  and 
chopped  seas. 

At  Active  Bay  we  could  not  tell  which  way  we  were 
going,  the  passage  seemed  closed  by  lofty  mountains,  and 
the  sea  appeared  to  flow  against  their  bases  ;  but  presently 
the  wall  of  rock  split  into  a  wooded  gorge,  through  which 
we  shot  with  a  graceful  curve. 

The  long  meandering  line  of  Vancouver  Island  followed 
for  three  hundred  miles  on  the  left,  and  we  crossed  the 
Gulf  of  Georgia  in  water  of  enchanting  tranquillity. 

Our  first  days  were  spent  in  threading  the  wilderness  of 
islands  ofi"  Vancouver,  and  we  were  close  enough  to  the 
coast  on  the  right  to  see  it  distinctly.  There  was  the 
continental  coast  range  of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  vanish- 
ing streaks  of  snow  and  silver  on  our  eastern  horizon,  rising 
from  five  hundred  to  two  thousand  five  hundred  feet  above 
the  sea-level.  Its  peaks  lay  in  every  imaginable  shape, 
twisted,  coiled,  convoluted  against  the  horizon-bar,  now 
running  up  into  a  perfect  cone,  like  the  Silberhorn  of 


Harrison]        A  SUMMER   TRIP   TO  ALASKA.  241 

Switzerland,  now  elongating  in  rippling  lines  along  the 
east,  now  staining  the  sky  with  deep-blue  masses  of  ultra- 
marine flecked  with  pearly  lines. 

The  smoke  of  the  burning  forests  of  "Washington  Terri- 
tory and  British  Columbia  had  filled  the  air  for  days,  and 
worried  us  not  a  little ;  but  one  morning  we  awoke  in  per- 
fect sunshine,  and  found  an  atmosphere  impregnated  with 
frosty  sparkles  from  the  distant  snow-peaks.  Just  before 
nightfall,  when  we  Avero  about  to  cross  Queen  Charlotte's 
Sound,  a  fog  came  u-p,  and  the  pilot  thought  it  advisable  to 
lie  by  for  the  night,  more  particularly  as  the  coast  is  a  dan- 
gerous one  and  is  strewn  with  reefs  and  rocks ;  so,  while  we 
were  at  dinner,  the  ship  wheeled  around,  and  we  reversed 
our  course,  going  south  until  we  reached  Port  Alexandria, 
one  of  the  most  perfect  little  harbors  conceivable.  It  is 
a  cove  just  like  the  foot  of  a  stocking;  a  tiny,  circle-shaped 
island  lies  in  its  mouth,  and  richly-wooded  heights  throw 
their  green  shimmer  on  the  placid  water. 

Here  we  lay  till  morning,  as  "  snug  as  a  bug  in  a  rug." 
Just  before  entering  the  cove,  which  is  only  about  two 
hundred  yards  wide,  we  saw  in  the  distance  an  Indian  sea- 
canoe,  with  its  wet  paddles  flashing  in  the  sun,  and  the 
agreeable  thought  was  suggested,  Suppose  we  should  be 
surrounded  and  scalped  in  the  night !  Nothing  could  have 
been  easier  in  this  lonely  neighborhood. 

The  perpetual  wheeling  of  the  vessel  in  her  nautical 
evolutions  as  she  steamed  through  each  successive  archi- 
pelago gave  inse  to  ever-new  comment  on  the  new  vistas 
and  island-combinations  before  us.  The  coast  of  Maine  is 
not  to  be  mentioned  in  comparison  with  this,  nor  the  island- 
dusted  Caribbean  Sea.  These  inland-sweeping  seas  open 
in  long  river  reaches,  beyond  which,  in  sharp  sunshine, 
rise  the  everlasting  peaks,  burnished  with  ice.     The  shores 

of  British  Columbia  are  densely  clothed  with  diminutive 

Vol.  I  — 16 


242  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.        [Harribow 

needle-wood,  much  of  which  is  dead,  so  that  the  pale  yellow- 
green  is  toned  with  brown-gray.  The  water  is  intensely 
salt,  and  is  skimmed  by  wild  duck  and  by  low-flying,  tufted 
water-fowl. 

As  we  were  passing  along  one  morning,  an  Indian  crew 
came  dashing  out  in  a  canoe,  with  a  deer  for  sale.  There 
were  stunted-looking  squaws  in  the  boat,  and  all  quacked 
and  gesticulated  and  grunted  after  the  peculiar  linguistic 
fashion  of  the  neighborhood.  These  Indians  are  wonder- 
fully deft  with  their  fingers,  and  weave  bottle-cases,  satchels, 
baskets,  and  table-mats  out  of  split  and  dyed  grasses  with 
curious  delicacy  and  skill.  Their  face-type  is  the  homeliest 
I  have  seen :  enormous  skulls,  high-angled  cheek-bones, 
blinking  black  eyes,  flattish  noses,  and  shocks  of  horse- 
hair. Evidently  they  are  expert  huntsmen  and  sportsmen : 
often  we  saw  their  camp-fires,  or  a  canoe  stealing  along 
the  silent  water,  filled  with  crouching  forms. 

Day  after  day  there  was  a  never-ending  succession  of 
lake-scenery, — long,  winding  lanes  of  green  water  between 
steep  snow-streaked  domes  and  precipices.  The  evenings 
softened  into  singularly  lovely  nights,  with  close-hugging 
shores,  volumes  of  dark,  iodine-hued  water,  lingering  stars, 
and  phosphorescence.  The  light  hung  over  the  hyper- 
borean landscape  as  if  loath  to  leave.  At  ten  o'clock  one 
evening  we  went  out  and  found  the  ship  steaming  up  a 
lane  of  purple  glass, — the  water  magically  still,  the  air  full 
of  soft,  plaintive  cries  from  the  breeding  gulls,  the  tinkle 
of  the  parted  sea  around  our  bows,  and  the  dim,  spectral 
water  lighted  up  at  the  end  of  the  long  avenue  by  a  haunt- 
ing aurora. 

Many  a  time  the  cabin  door  formed  a  delightful  frame 
for  a  forest-picture, — gliding  water,  pale-blue  sky,  a  broken 
shore,  and,  behind,  long  lines  of  brilliant  snow-peaks,  with 
their  chased  and  frozen  silver.     We  would  lie  asleep  for  a 


Harrison]        A   SUMMER   TRIP   TO  ALASKA.  243 

few  moments  in  the  cool  dark  of  the  cabin-interior,  and  then 
wake  up  with  one  of  these  perfect,  swiftly-moving  views  in 
the  foregi'ound.  Before  we  caught  it,  often  it  had  gone, — 
the  pale,  plenteous  beauty  of  the  fir-crowned  shore,  the 
dancing  islets,  the  sedgy  strand-line,  the  many-colored 
rocks,  with  their  pools  and  fountain-basins  of  transparent 
water  caught  from  the  deep  and  held  in  by  their  rocky 
framework  in  a  lightness  and  purity  of  crystal  dew. 

Then  the  ship  ran  dangerously  near  to  the  coast,  or  again 
out  into  the  open  sound,  with  its  mediterranean  sprinkle 
of  islets,  serrated  walls  of  rocks,  coves  and  island-mounds, 
wherein  nested  shadows  of  amethyst  or  indigo. 

The  flow  of  life  in  some  of  these  coves  and  estuary-like 
indentations  is  marvellous,  the  fish  coming  in  egg-laden, 
and  looking  for  streams  of  fresh  water  in  which  to  deposit 
their  ova.  We  anchored  in  one  of  these  inlets,  and  found 
on  the  land  luxuriant  ferns  and  splendid  clumps  of  yellow 
cedar  and  hemlock,  with  snow-banks  behind.  Half  a  dozen 
little  bucks  and  half-breeds  were  tumbling  about  in  the 
water  through  the  long  afternoon  light,  which  seemed  to 
have  an  amaranthine  quality  and  to  be  unfading.  The  sun 
did  not  set  till  after  eight  o'clock,  and  there  was  cold, 
ghostly,  green  light  up  in  the  north  till  nearly  midnight. 
When  darkness  did  come,  it  was  of  the  genuine  cuttle-fish 
kind, — inky, — splashed  with  stars.  There  was  now  and 
then  a  delicate  shell  of  a  moon  incising  the  sky  against  a 
mountain-side  and  lending  the  most  fragile  transfiguration 
to  its  top. 

As  we  approached  Fort  Wrangel,  the  ship's  company 
turned  out  in  the  sweet  evening  sunshine  and  found  a  glo- 
rious panorama  awaiting  them.  The  sheen  of  a  mighty 
mass  of  embattled  peaks  and  pinnacles  and  feathery  float- 
ing snow-points  shone  high  up  in  the  evening  air,  just  mel- 
lowing under  a  magnificent  sunset.    These  mountains  guard 


244  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.         [Harrison 

the  entrance  to  the  Stickeen  Eiver  and  mount  up  the  hori- 
zon after  the  Duke  of  Clarence  Strait  has  been  traversed. 

Wrangel  itself  is  most  memorably  situated  just  on  one 
side  of  these  sheeny  peaks  and  glaciers,  almost  in  the 
shadow  of  the  Devil's  Thumb,  which  rises  about  four  hun- 
dred feet  above  its  own  mountain-cluster  and  forms  one  of 
a  throng  of  confused  and  radiant  aiguilles  overlooking  the 
Stickeen.  The  sunset  had  not  entirely  faded  at  nine 
o'clock,  when  we  touched  shore  and  rejoiced  our  eyes  with 
a  series  of  wonderful  semi-arctic  color-pictures, — coal  black 
islands,  purple  islands,  lilac  islands,  islands  in  india-ink  and 
amber,  Ijnng  in  glacier- water  of  pale  green,  and  above  and 
beyond  all  the  glorious  flush  of  the  sun  stealing  in  be- 
tween the  white  snow-needles  and  throwing  them  out  and 
up  into  luminous  relief 

Opposite  the  town  is  an  island  shaped  like  the  cocked  hat 
of  a  gendarme,  where  it  was  said  that  the  curious  polygo- 
nal garnets  embedded  in  schist  and  peculiar  to  this  region 
are  found.  There  were  plenty  of  them  as  large  as  walnuts 
for  sale  at  twenty-five  cents  a  dozen.  Odd  carved  boxes, 
too,  made  of  an  unknown  wood  and  inlaid  with  shells,  were 
here  in  plenty  ;  cases  of  buckskin,  containing  the  conjuring- 
sticks  or  gambling-kits  of  the  Thlinkit  medicine-men ;  loin- 
cloths, ornamented  with  multitudes  of  rattling  puffin-beaks; 
head-dresses  of  defunct  warriors ;  fantastic  and  horrible 
masks  ;  huge  spoons  carved  out  of  the  horns  of  the  moun- 
tain-ibex ;  bead-work  on  leather ;  robes  of  many-colored 
skins  quilted  together ;  images  carved  to  resemble  otters ; 
fleecy  robes  of  wild  sheep  and  goat;  pipes  cut  with  nude 
figures  ;  antlers ;  stuffed  animals  ;  white-breasted  loons,  and 
the  like. 

After  a  short  stop  for  landing  the  mails,  the  vessel  was 
soon  traversing  Wrangel  Strait,  just  under  some  splendid 
glaciers  and  snowy  mountains,  the  water  perfectly  smooth, 


Harrison]        A   SUMMER   TRIP   TO  ALASKA.  245 

though  full  of  small  icebergs,  which  glittered  in  the  sun- 
shine and  had  broken  off  from  the  descending  ice-mass. 
Enormous  rivers  of  ice  flow  down  between  these  moun- 
tains and  debouch  in  the  sea,  their  -current  mysteriously 
stayed  by  the  low  temperature.  We  were  particularly  for- 
tunate in  having  fine,  clear  weather  early  in  the  morning, 
especially  at  this  point,  where  we  could  see  the  great  Pat- 
tison  Glacier.  The  ship  entered  the  enchanted  region 
through  a  narrow  passage,  which  one  of  us  christened  the 
"  Silver  Gates,"  the  Beulah  Mountains  edging  our  Pilgrim's 
Progress  in  passionless  white  as  we  zigzagged  along  the 
course. 

A  little  later,  the  scenery  on  Frederic  Sound  became 
truly  transcendent :  grand  mountains,  forme  that  would  be 
awful  but  for  the  sunshine  resting  on  their  beads,  the  lake- 
like sound,  with  its  blue  spits  of  land  and  cameo-like  prom- 
ontories profiled  against  the  sky,  motionless  glace-de-  Venise 
water  reflecting  a  thousand  shades  of  azure  and  gray  and 
white,  gulls  resting  on  the  water,  with  white  bodies  and 
black  tips,  almost  a  complete  circle  of  brilliant  snow-banks 
peeping  above  the  clouds  that  hung  to  them  amorously, 
and  far-away  vistas  of  blue-white  glaciers  coming  down  to 
meet  the  water-margin. 

Schools  of  spouting  whales  played  in  the  distance,  and 
the  passengers  sent  balls  out  of  their  pistols  hissing  on  the 
water,  but  happily  hitting  nothing.  During  the  last  trip 
two  lovely  antlered  creatures  came  swimming  along  in 
the  water,  trying  to  cross  one  of  the  channels  to  another 
grazing-ground.  They  were  taken  on  board,  but  one  of 
them  died. 

The  next  landing-place  was  Killimoo,  a  little  Indian 
village  on  an  island  surrounded  by  dim -green  heights  and 
flickering,  ever-changing  mountain-views.  It  is  a  great 
station  for  drying  codfish,  long  lines  of  which  lay  spread 


246  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.         [Harbison 

out  on  the  wharf  in  the  sun  to  dry.  As  night  fell  the 
squaws  and  Indian  maidens  gathered  the  rattling  fish- 
carcasses  under  little  ai'k-like  receptacles,  where  they  lay 
till  morning  out  of  the  dew. 

At  Juneau  some  of  the  passengers  walked  or  rowed  off 
to  the  gold-mines  in  the  mountains,  where  they  picked  up 
specimens  of  gold-quartz  and  some  teacupfuls  of  sifted 
gold-dust.  One  of  these  was  said  to  be  worth  six  hundred 
dollars,  another  over  twelve  hundred  dollars.  One  was  re- 
minded of  the  gold-dust  story  of  Alkmaion  in  Herodotus. 

Shortly  after  this  the  ship  cast  anchor  at  Chilkat  and 
Pyramid  Harbor,  our  two  highest  points  in  Alaska  waters, 
about  latitude  59°  12'  north.  We  had  but  a  poor  glimpse  of 
the  glaciers  on  the  Chilkat  side, — one  a  magnificent  down- 
flow  of  pale-blue  ice,  the  other  a  frozen  river  caught  and 
compressed  in  between  strangling  hills. 

The  location  of  Pyramid  Harbor  is  very  beautiful, — a 
■wind-sheltered  nook,  a  curving  shore,  covered  with  pebbles, 
alder-clad  heights  just  behind,  and  dimly-flashing  ice-peaks 
peeping  out  of  the  mist  just  over  the  shoulder  of  a  huge 
green  rock-slope.  A  salmon-cannery  in  the  foreground, 
flanked  by  an  Indian  village,  a  semilune  of  pure  green 
water,  nearly  fresh,  and  a  cui'ious  pyramid-shaped  knoll 
rising  from  it,  constituted  other  features  of  the  environ- 
ment. The  lifting  mists  drew  aside  for  a  while,  and  re- 
freshed the  sight  with  views  of  the  great  sculpture-linea 
of  the  surrounding  mountains. 

[We  may  pass  the  description  of  Sitka,  and  proceed.] 

We  were  greatly  favored  when  we  left  Sitka.  Starting 
off  in  a  rain,  in  which  everything  lay  in  muddy  eclipse,  we 
woke  up  next  morning  and  found  ourselves  tracing  the 
outside  route  to  the  Muir  Glacier  in  sparkling  sunshine. 
The  transition  was  delightful,  and,  though  most  of  the 


Harrisow]        a  summer   TRIP  TO  ALASKA.  247 

passengers  were  sick  from  the  tossing  of  the  ship  on  the 
long  outside  ocean-swell,  I  believe  thej  all  enjoyed  the 
sunshine  as  it  flashed  into  their  cabin  windows,  played  on 
the  walls,  and  pricked  and  scattered  the  enormous  vapor 
masses  that  hung  over  the  mountains  on  our  right.  There 
were  no  longer  the  vaulted  vapors  of  the  preceding  days, 
the  dense  counterpane  of  nebulous  gray  that  covered  the 
whole  sky  with  its  monotony.  The  heavy  cloud-banks 
clung  to  the  mountains,  leaving  an  exquisite  arc  of  sky, 
almost  Italian  in  its  sunny  azure. 

Nothing  could  be  more  superb  than  the  deep,  dark, 
velvety  tints  of  the  crinkled  and  crumpled  mountains  as 
they  shelved  to  the  sea  and  came  in  contact  there  with  an 
edging  of  foam  from  the  blue  Pacific.  Huge  jelly-fish 
flapped  about  in  the  clear  water,  nebular  patches  of  proto- 
plasmic existence,  capable,  apparently,  of  no  other  func- 
tions than  sensation,  motion,  and  self-propagation.  Some 
of  them  were  richly  streaked,  long-tailed,  delicately  mar- 
gined, with  comet-like  streamers,  jelly-frills,  and  nuclei  like 
a  wide-open  sunflower.  Their  motion  was  so  indolently 
graceful  that  I  could  not  help  gazing  at  them. 

Mount  St.  Elias !  Yes,  there  it  was,  they  affirmed,  on  the 
northeastern  horizon,  a  vapory,  unsubstantial  cone,  dancing 
up  and  down  in  the  refracting  light.  I  looked  and  looked, 
persuading  myself  that  I  saw  the  glorious  vision  nineteen 
thousand  five  hundred  feet  high.  Others  persuaded  them- 
Belves  of  the  same  fact,  being  naturally  ambitious  of  car- 
rying away  remembrances  of  the  tallest  mountain  in  all 
America.  But,  after  all,  I  fancy  that  nobody  had  a  very 
strong  faith  in  his  discovery,  particularly  as  the  reputed 
mountain  seemed  to  change  its  place,  flit  hither  and  thither 
on  the  curve  of  the  sky,  and  finally  disappear. 

But  yonder!  What  is  that?  Clouds?  Apparently. 
But  look  again.     What,  that  small  speck  just  on  the  edge 


248  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.         [Harrison 

of  the  water?  No,  higher  up — up— up.  What  a  sight! 
Certainly  the  grandest  view  we  have  had  yet.  A  huge, 
white,  snow-tipped  back,  like  a  camel's  hump,  now  loomed 
apparently  right  out  of  the  water's  edge, — the  mighty 
range  of  Mount  Fairweather,  Mount  Crillon,  and  eight  or 
ten  other  domes  and  peaks,  the  highest  fifteen  thousand 
five  hundred  feet  high,  according  to  the  measurement  of 
the  United  States  Coast  Survey.  This  is  the  finest  moun- 
tain-landscape we  have  ever  seen,  not  even  excepting  the 
Alps  from  Neufchatel.  The  peaks  looked  enormously  high 
as  they  shot  up  just  behind  the  sea-edge,  far  above  the 
first  stratum  of  cloud  which  ran  along  midway  of  the 
mountain  in  deep  slate-colored  belts.  Now  and  then  the 
vapor  thinned  to  the  fineness  of  tulle  and  Brousa  gauze, 
behind  which  the  mountain-colors  loomed  in  vague  and  yet 
radiant  purity.  Gradually  the  ardent  sun  melted  away  the 
misty  striated  belts  of  cloud,  and  the  great  peaks  stood 
out  calmly  and  gloriously  effulgent  in  the  crystal  August 
air,  a  scene  of  exquisite  loveliness  and  sublimity.  At  one 
end  a  mighty  glacier  ran  down  to  the  sea,  and  at  the  other 
the  pygmy  mountains  (two  or  three  thousand  feet  high) 
we  had  been  coasting  lay  like  ebon  carvings  against  the 
white,  a  ripple  of  dark  velvet  against  ermine. 

For  hours  we  steamed  towards  this  splendid  picture, 
which,  while  growing  more  and  more  distinct,  did  not  ap- 
pear to  be  any  nearer  than  when  we  first  saw  it.  In  the 
afternoon  we  turned  to  the  right  of  this  range  into  icy 
straits,  and  soon  we  were  in  the  midst  of  a  scene  more 
wonderful,  perhaps,  than  that  through  which  we  had  just 
passed.  On  the  light-green  water  lay  literally  hundreds 
of  icebergs,  of  all  shapes  and  sizes,  some  a  deep  translucent 
blue,  the  blue  of  cobalt,  others  green,  others  a  pure  white, 
—serrated,  castellated,  crenellated,  glittering,— from  the 
size  of  a  tvu-een  to  that  of  a  small  church.     We  seemed  on 


Carver]    THE  FORT  WILLIAM  HENRY  MASSACRE.       249 

the  point  of  entering  that  ancient  palaeocrystic  sea  of 
which  the  geologists  speak, — ice  everywhere,  our  ship  cut- 
ting its  way  through  impinging  ice. 


THE  FORT  WILLIAM  HENRY  MASSACRE. 

JONATHAN  CARVER. 

[Carver's  interesting  "  Travels  througli  the  Interior  Parts  of  North 
America,  in  the  years  1766,  1767,  and  1768,"  is  the  source  of  the  nar- 
rative given  below,  relating  to  an  event  with  which  most  of  our  read- 
ers are  probably  familiar  from  historical  reading,  though  few  of  them 
have  read  the  experience  of  an  actual  participant.  Carver  served  as 
a  captain  in  the  French  and  Indian  "War,  and  tells  this  most  thrill- 
ing narrative  of  the  American  wars  as  an  illustrative  episode  in  his 
subsequent  work  of  travels.  He  is  describing  the  cruel  actions  of  the 
Indians  in  war.] 

I  HAVE  frequently  been  a  spectator  of  them,  and  once 
bore  a  part  in  a  similar  scene.  But  what  added  to  the  hor- 
ror of  it  was  that  I  had  not  the  consolation  of  being  able 
to  oppose  their  savage  attacks.  Every  circumstance  of  the 
adventure  still  dwells  on  my  memory,  and  enables  me  to 
describe  with  greater  perspicuity  the  brutal  fierceness  of 
the  Indians  when  they  have  surprised  or  overpowered  an 
enemy. 

As  a  detail  of  the  massacre  at  Fort  William  Henry  in 
the  year  1757,  the  scene  to  which  1  refer,  cannot  appear 
foreign  to  the  design  of  this  publication,  but  will  serve  to 


250  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Carveb 

give  my  readers  a  just  idea  of  the  ferocity  of  this  people,  I 
shall  take  the  liberty  to  insert  it,  apologizing  at  the  same 
time  for  the  length  of  the  digression  and  those  egotisms 
which  the  relation  renders  unavoidable. 

General  Webb,  who  commanded  the  English  army  in 
North  America,  which  was  then  encamped  at  Fort  Ed- 
ward, having  intelligence  that  the  French  troops  under 
Mons.  Montcalm  were  making  some  movements  towards 
Fort  William  Henry,  he  detached  a  corps  of  about  fifteen 
hundred  men,  consisting  of  English  and  provincials,  to 
strengthen  the  garrison.  In  this  party  I  went  as  a  volun- 
teer among  the  latter. 

The  apprehensions  of  the  English  general  were  not  with- 
out foundation,  for  the  day  after  our  arrival  we  saw  Lake 
George  (formerly  Lake  Sacrament),  to  which  it  lies  con- 
tiguous, covered  with  an  immense  number  of  boats,  and  in 
a  few  hours  we  found  our  lines  attacked  by  the  French 
general,  who  had  just  landed  with  eleven  thousand  regu- 
lars and  Canadians  and  two  thousand  Indians.  Colonel 
Munro,  a  brave  oflScer,  commanded  in  the  fort,  and  had  no 
more  than  two  thousand  three  hundred  men  with  him,  our 
detachment  included. 

With  these  he  made  a  brave  defence,  and  probably  would 
have  been  able  at  last  to  preserve  the  fort  had  he  been 
properly  supported  and  permitted  to  continue  his  efforts. 
On  every  summons  to  surrender  sent  by  the  French  gen- 
eral, who  offered  the  most  honorable  terms,  his  answer  re- 
peatedly was,  that  he  found  himself  in  a  condition  to  repel 
the  most  vigorous  attacks  his  besiegers  were  able  to  make; 
and  if  he  thought  his  present  force  insufficient,  he  could 
soon  be  supplied  with  a  greater  number  from  the  adjacent 
army. 

But  the  colonel  having  acquainted  General  Webb  with 
his  situation,  and  desired  he  would  send  him  some  fresh 


€i.rvb:r]    the  FORT  WILLIAM  HENRY  MASSACRE.       251 

troops,  the  general  despatched  a  messenger  to  him  with 
a  letter,  wherein  he  informed  him  that  it  was  not  in  his 
power  to  assist  him,  and  therefore  gave  him  orders  to  sur- 
render'up  the  fort  on  the  best  terms  he  could  procure. 
This  packet  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  French  general,  who 
immediately  sent  a  flag  of  truce,  desiring  a  conference  with 
the  governor. 

They  accordingly  met,  attended  only  by  a  small  guard, 
in  the  centre  between  the  lines,  when  Mons.  Montcalm  told 
the  colonel  that  he  was  come  in  person  to  demand  posses- 
sion of  the  fort,  as  it  belonged  to  the  king,  his  master. 
The  colonel  replied  that  he  knew  not  how  that  could  be, 
nor  should  he  surrender  it  up  while  it  was  in  his  power  to 
defend  it. 

The  French  general  rejoined,  at  the  same  time  delivering 
the  packet  into  the  colonel's  hand,  "  By  this  authority  do  I 
make  the  requisition."  The  brave  governor  had  no  sooner 
read  the  contents  of  it,  and  was  convinced  that  such  were 
the  orders  of  the  commander-in-chief,  and  not  to  be  dis- 
obeyed, than  he  hung  his  head  in  silence,  and  reluctantly 
entered  into  a  negotiation. 

In  consideration  of  the  gallant  defence  the  garrison  had 
made,  they  were  to  be  permitted  to  march  out  with  all  the 
honors  of  war,  to  be  allowed  covered  wagons  to  transport 
their  baggage  to  Fort  Edward,  and  a  guard  to  protect 
them  from  the  fury  of  the  savages. 

The  morning  after  the  capitulation  was  signed,  as  soon 
as  day  bi'oke,  the  whole  garrison,  now  consisting  of  about 
two  thousand  men,  besides  women  and  children,  were 
drawn  up  within  the  lines,  and  on  the  point  of  marching 
off,  when  great  numbers  of  the  Indians  gathered  about  and 
began  to  plunder.  "We  were  at  first  in  hopes  that  this  was 
their  only  view,  and  suffered  them  to  proceed  without  op- 
position.    Indeed,  it  was  not  in  our  power  to  make  any, 


252  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [CARVKa 

had  we  been  so  inclined,  for,  though  we  were  permitted  to 
carry  ofiF  our  arms,  yet  we  were  not  allowed  a  single  round 
of  ammunition.  In  these  hopes,  however,  we  were  disap- 
pointed ;  for  presently  some  of  them  began  to  attack  the 
sick  and  wounded,  when  such  as  were  not  able  to  crawl 
into  the  ranks,  notwithstanding  they  endeavored  to  avert 
the  fury  of  their  enemies  by  their  shrieks  or  groans,  were 
soon  despatched. 

Here  we  were  fully  in  expectation  that  the  disturbance 
would  have  concluded,  but  in  a  short  time  we  saw  the  same 
division  driven  back,  and  discovered  that  we  were  entirely 
encircled  by  the  savages.  We  expected  every  moment 
that  the  guard,  which  the  French,  by  the  articles  of  capit- 
ulation, had  agreed  to  allow  us,  would  have  arrived,  and 
put  an  end  to  our  apprehensions,  but  none  appeared.  The 
Indians  now  began  to  strip  every  one,  without  exception, 
of  their  arms  and  clothes,  and  those  who  made  the  least 
resistance  felt  the  weight  of  their  tomahawks. 

I  happened  to  be  in  the  rear  division,  but  it  was  not  long 
before  I  shared  the  fate  of  my  companions.  Three  or  four 
of  the  savages  laid  hold  of  me,  and  whilst  some  held  their 
weapons  over  my  head,  the  others  soon  disrobed  me  of  my 
coat,  waistcoat,  hat,  and  buckles,  omitting  not  to  take  from 
me  what  money  I  had  in  my  pocket.  As  this  was  trans- 
acted close  by  the  passage  that  led  from  the  lines  on  to 
the  plain,  near  which  a  French  sentinel  was  posted,  I  ran 
to  him  and  claimed  his  protection,  but  he  only  called  me 
an  English  dog,  and  thrust  me  with  violence  back  again 
into  the  midst  of  the  Indians. 

I  now  endeavored  to  join  a  body  of  our  troops  that  were 
crowded  together  at  some  distance,  but  innumerable  were 
the  blows  that  were  made  at  me  with  different  weapons  as 
I  passed  on ;  luckily,  however,  the  savages  were  so  close 
together  that  they  could  not  strike  at  me  without  endan- 


Carver]     THE  FORT  WILLIAM  HENRY  MASSACRE.      253 

gering  each  other,  notwithstanding  which  one  of  them 
found  means  to  make  a  thrust  at  me  with  a  spear,  which 
grazed  my  side,  and  from  another  I  received  a  wound  with 
the  same  kind  of  weapon  on  my  ankle.  At  length  I  gained 
the  spot  where  my  countrymen  stood,  and  forced  myself 
into  the  midst  of  them.  But  before  I  got  thus  far  out  of 
the  hands  of  the  Indians  the  collar  and  wristbands  of  my 
shirt  were  all  that  remained  of  it,  and  my  flesh  was 
scratched  and  torn  in  many  places  by  their  savage  grips. 

By  this  time  the  war-whoop  was  given,  and  the  Indians 
becran  to  murder  those  that  were  nearest  to  them  without 
distinction.  It  is  not  in  the  power  of  words  to  give  any 
tolerable  idea  of  the  horrid  scene  that  now  ensued ;  men, 
women,  and  children  were  despatched  in  the  most  wanton 
and  cruel  manner,  and  immediately  scalped.  Many  of  the 
savages  drank  the  blood  of  their  victims  aa  it  flowed  warm 
from  the  fatal  wound. 

"Wo  now  perceived,  though  too  late  to  avail  us,  that  we 
were  to  expect  no  relief  from  the  French  ;  and  that,  con- 
trary to  the  agreement  they  had  so  lately  signed  to  allow 
us  a  sufiicient  force  to  protect  us  from  these  insults,  they 
tacitly  permitted  them ;  for  I  could  plainly  perceive  the 
French  ofiicers  walking  about  at  some  distance,  discoursing 
together  with  aj^parent  unconcern.  For  the  honor  of 
human  nature  I  would  hope  that  this  flagrant  breach  of 
every  sacred  law  proceeded  rather  from  the  savage  dis- 
position of  the  Indians,  which  I  acknowledge  it  is  some- 
times almost  impossible  to  control,  and  which  might  now 
unexpectedly  have  arrived  to  a  pitch  not  easily  to  be  re- 
strained, than  from  anj'  premeditated  design  in  the  French 
commander.  An  unprejudiced  observer  would,  however, 
be  apt  to  conclude  that  a  body  of  ten  thousand  Christian 
troops,  most  Christian  troops,  had  it  in  their  power  to  pre  • 
vent  the  massacre  from  becoming  so  general.     But  what- 


254  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Carvsr 

ever  was  the  cause  from  which  it  arose,  the  consequences 
of  it  were  dreadful,  and  not  to  be  paralleled  in  modern 
history. 

As  the  circle  in  which  I  stood  enclosed  by  this  time  was 
much  thinned,  and  death  seemed  to  be  approaching  with 
hasty  strides,  it  was  proposed  by  some  of  the  most  resolute 
to  make  one  vigorous  effort,  and  endeavor  to  force  our  way 
through  the  savages,  the  only  probable  method  of  pre- 
servino'  our  lives  that  now  remained.  This,  however  des- 
perate,  was  resolved  upon,  and  about  twenty  of  us  sprung 
at  once  into  the  midst  of  them. 

In  a  moment  we  were  separated,  and  what  was  the  fate 
of  my  comrades  1  could  not  learn  till  some  months  after, 
when  I  found  that  only  five  or  six  of  them  effected  their 
design.  Intent  only  on  my  own  hazardous  situation,  I  en- 
deavored to  make  my  way  through  my  savage  enemies  in 
the  best  manner  possible.  And  I  have  often  been  aston- 
ished since,  when  I  have  recollected  with  what  composure 
I  took,  as  I  did,  every  necessary  step  for  my  preservation. 
Some  I  overturned,  being  at  that  time  young  and  athletic,, 
and  others  1  passed  by,  dexterously  avoiding  their  weapons ;. 
till  at  last  two  very  stout  chiefs,  of  the  most  savage  tribes,. 
as  I  could  distinguish  by  their  dress,  whose  strength  I 
could  not  resist,  laid  hold  of  me  by  each  arm,  and  began  to- 
force  me  through  the  crowd. 

1  now  resigned  myself  to  my  fate,  not  doubting  but  that 
they  intended  to  despatch  me,  and  then  to  satiate  their 
vengeance  with  my  blood,  as  I  found  they  were  hurrying- 
me  towards  a  retired  swamp  that  lay  at  some  distance. 
But  before  we  had  got  many  yards,  an  English  gentleman- 
of  some  distinction,  as  I  could  discover  by  his  breeches,  the: 
only  covering  he  had  on,  which  were  of  fine  scarlet  velvet,, 
rushed  close  by  us.  One  of  the  Indians  instantly  relin- 
quished his  hold,  and,  springing  on  this  new  object,  eQ>- 


Carver]    THE  FORT  WILLIAM  HENRY  MASSACRE.      255 

deavored  to  seize  him  as  his  prey;  but  the  gentleman, 
being  strong,  threw  him  on  the  ground,  and  would  prob- 
ably have  got  away,  had  not  he  who  held  my  other  arm 
quitted  me  to  assist  his  brother.  I  seized  the  opportunity, 
and  hastened  away  to  join  another  party  of  English  troops 
that  were  yet  unbroken,  and  stood  in  a  body  at  some  dis- 
tance. But  before  I  had  taken  many  steps  I  hastily  cast 
my  eye  towards  the  gentleman,  and  saw  the  Indian's  toma- 
hawk gash  into  his  back,  and  heard  him  utter  his  last 
groan ;  this  added  both  to  my  speed  and  desperation. 

I  had  left  this  shocking  scene  but  a  few  yards  when  a 
fine  boy  of  about  twelve  years  of  age,  that  had  hitherto 
escaped,  came  up  to  me,  and  begged  that  I  would  let  him 
lay  hold  of  me,  so  that  he  might  stand  some  chance  of 
getting  out  of  the  hands  of  the  savages.  I  told  him  that 
I  would  give  him  every  assistance  in  my  power,  and  to 
this  purpose  bid  him  lay  hold ;  but  in  a  few  moments  he 
was  torn  from  my  side,  and  by  his  shrieks  I  judge  was 
soon  demolished.  I  could  not  help  forgetting  my  own 
cares  for  a  minute  to  lament  the  fate  of  so  young  a 
sufferer ;  but  it  was  utterly  impossible  for  me  to  take  any 
methods  to  prevent  it. 

I  now  got  once  more  into  the  midst  of  friends,  but  we 
were  unable  to  afford  each  other  any  succor.  As  this  was. 
the  division  that  had  advanced  the  farthest  from  the  fort, 
I  thought  there  might  be  a  possibility  (though  but  a  very 
bare  one)  of  my  forcing  a  way  through  the  outer  ranks  of 
the  Indians  and  getting  to  a  neighboring  wood,  which  I 
perceived  at  some  distance.  I  was  still  encouraged  to  hope 
by  the  almost  miraculous  preservation  I  had  already  ex- 
perienced. 

Nor  were  my  hopes  vain  or  the  efforts  I  made  ineffectual. 
Suffice  to  say  that  I  reached  the  wood,  but  by  the  time  I 
had  penetrated  a  little  way  into  it  my  breath  was  so  ex- 


256  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Carveb 

hausted  that  I  threw  myself  into  a  brake,  and  lay  for 
some  minutes  apparently  at  the  last  gasp.  At  length  I 
recovered  power  of  respiration,  but  my  apprehensions 
returned  with  all  their  former  force  when  I  saw  several 
savages  pass  by,  probably  in  pursuit  of  me,  at  no  very  great 
distance. 

In  this  situation  I  knew  not  whether  it  was  better  to 
proceed  or  endeavor  to  conceal  myself  where  I  lay  till 
night  came  on.  Fearing,  however,  that  they  would  return 
the  same  way,  I  thought  it  most  prudent  to  get  farther 
from  the  dreadful  scene  of  mj^  past  distresses.  Accordingly, 
striking  into  another  part  of  the  wood,  I  hastened  on  as 
fast  as  the  briers  and  the  loss  of  one  of  my  shoes  would 
permit  me,  and,  after  a  slow  progress  of  some  hours, 
gained  a  hill  that  overlooked  the  plain  which  I  had  just  left, 
from  whence  I  could  discern  that  the  bloody  storm  still 
raged  with  unabated  fury. 

But  not  to  tire  my  readers,  I  shall  only  add  that  after 
passing  three  days  without  subsistence,  and  enduring  the 
severity  of  the  cold  dews  for  three  nights,  I  at  length 
reached  Fort  Edward  ;  where  with  proper  care  my  body 
soon  recovered  its  wonted  strength  and  my  mind,  as  far  as 
the  recollection  of  the  late  melancholy  events  would  per- 
mit, its  usual  composure. 

It  was  computed  that  fifteen  hundred  persons  were 
killed  or  made  prisoners  by  these  savages  during  this  fatal 
day.  Many  of  the  latter  were  carried  off  by  them  and 
never  returned.  A  few,  through  favorable  accidents,  found 
their  way  back  to  their  native  country  after  having  ex- 
perienced a  long  and  severe  captivity. 

The  brave  Colonel  Munro  had  hastened  away,  soon  after 
the  confusion  began,  to  the  French  camp  to  endeavor  to 
procure  the  guard  agreed  by  the  stipulation ;  but  his 
application    proving    ineffectual,    he    remained    there    till 


Cakver]  the   GAUCHO  AND  HIS  HORSE.  257 

General  Webb  sent  a  party  of  troops  to  demand  and  pro- 
tect him  back  to  Fort  Edward.  But  these  unhappy  oc- 
cui'rences,  which  would  probably  have  been  prevented  had 
he  been  left  to  pursue  his  own  plans-,  together  with  the 
loss  of  so  many  brave  fellows,  murdered  in  cold  blood, 
to  whose  valor  he  had  so  lately  been  a  witness,  made  such 
an  impression  on  his  mind  that  he  did  not  long  survive. 
He  died  in  about  three  months  of  a  broken  heart,  and  with 
truth  might  it  be  said  that  he  was  an  honor  to  his  country. 


THE  GAUCHO  AND  HIS  HORSE. 

THOMAS  J.  HUTCHINSON. 

[Among  the  skilled  horsemen  of  the  earth  the  gaucho  of  the  plains 
of  Argentina  bears  pre-eminence.  The  cow-bcy  of  our  "Western  plains 
somewhat  nearly  approaches  him,  but  the  cow-boy  is  only  a  passing  ac- 
cident, not  an  institution,  like  the  gaucho,  who  will  still  flourish  on 
his  native  soil  when  the  cow-boy  has  ceased  to  be.  Hutchinson's 
"Buenos  Ayres  and  Argentine  Gleanings"  gives  us  a  well-limned 
picture  of  this  interesting  individual,  to  which  we  owe  the  following 
selection.] 

I  CAN  hardly  consider  myself  presumptuous  in  believing 
that  few  travellers  who  have  made  an  ascent  of  the  Parana 
for  the  first  time  have  done  so  with  a  more  agreeable  im- 
pression of  its  beauty  than  I  experienced.  The  only  draw- 
back connected  with  this  pleasure  is  the  consciousness  of 
being  unable  fully  to  describe  it.  My  readers  will,  how- 
ever, be  indulgent  enough  to  give  me  credit  for  an  effort  to 
do  my  best. 

Our  water-way  in  the  little  steamer  "  Dolorcitas,"  after 
leaving  Buenos  Ayres,  was   through  one  of  the   narrow 

Vol.  I— 17 


258  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.    [Hutchinson 

passages  that  are  the  boundaries  of  islets,  higher  up  than, 
as  well  as  parallel  with,  the  island  of  Martin  Garcia.  As 
we  steam  along  and  pass  the  estancias  of  wealthy  farmers, 
I  observe  on  the  banks  hundreds  of  cows,  large  troops 
of  horses,  and  flocks  of  sheep,  in  numbei's  sufficient  to 
puzzle  even  the  calculating  Pedder.  There  are  very  few 
wild  trees  to  be  seen,  except  on  the  highlands  an  occasional 
Bpecimen  of  the  Ombu  or  Algaroba  species.  The  resi- 
dences are  invariably  surrounded  by  groves  or  shrubberies 
of  peach-trees.  The  physical  aspect  of  the  islands  is  quite 
flat,  and  until  we  advance  a  few  hundred  miles  there  is  no 
elevation  above  a  few  feet  close  to  the  river's  side.  Now 
and  then — as,  for  example,  when  passing  through  the  creek 
called  the  "  Baradero" — I  catch  a  glimpse  of  high  land,  on 
part  of  which  there  is  a  convent  or  chapel ;  but  the  whole 
country  is  uncultivated,  except  in  isolated  patches  near  the 
compounds  of  the  tillers. 

Flocks  of  wild  duck  and  snipe  are  seen  in  abundance ; 
wild  turkeys  likewise,  with  occasionally  a  group  of  flamin- 
goes, whose  scarlet  plumage  forms  a  strikingly  dazzling  ob- 
ject in  the  bright  sunshine.  Indeed,  birds  of  various  kinds 
are  about  us  everywhere.  Passing  through  one  of  these 
island  passages,  you  see  strewing  the  banks  on  the  mainland 
side  the  skeletons  of  cows  and  horses,  while  other  poor 
brutes  are  lying  in  the  agonies  of  death ;  for  the  mud  at 
the  extreme  edge  of  the  water  is  too  soft  to  support  them ; 
hence,  when  they  go  down  to  drink,  they  are  swamped  in 
its  sponginess,  and  must  therefore  remain  to  die. 

Steaming  on,  we  pass  or  meet  several  small  river-craft 
engaged  in  the  coasting-trade  between  Montevideo,  Buenos 
Ayres,  and  the  towns  up  the  river,  until  we  land  at  an 
estancia,  where  cows,  horses,  and  sheep  are  bred  and  nur- 
tured:  the  cows  and  bullocks  chiefly  for  the  hides  and 
meat,  disposed  of  as  already  described  at  a  saladero ;  sheep 


HuTCHiKsox]    THE  GAUCHO   AND  HIS  HORSE.  259 

for  their  wool ;  while  horses  are  reared  for  every  possible 
purpose,  and  are  turned  to  use  whether  alive  or  dead. 

Horses  dead  I  Their  skins  are  tanned  ;  the  grease  of  the 
mare's  body  is  used  for  light,  and  for  many  oleaginous  pur- 
poses. Close  to  one  of  our  towns  is  a  rancho  or  hut  be- 
longing to  a  brick-maker,  and  there,  between  his  door  and 
the  kiln,  is  an  immense  pile — as  high  as  an  ordinary  house 
— of  dead  horses,  whose  bodies  are  to  be  used  for  burning 
the  bricks.  Mares'  tongues,  preserved,  are  sold  in  the 
market  as  luxuries ;  hoofs,  skulls,  shank,  thigh,  and  other 
bones  of  the  animal,  as  well  as  the  hair  of  the  mane  and 
tail,  are  exported  hence  to  England,  America,  and  other 
places  across  the  sea  in  large  quantities.  At  the  saladeros, 
too,  they  slaughter  mares  in  hundreds  for  their  hides  and 
grease,  the  operation  being  conducted  by  crunching  the 
animal's  skull  with  a  mallet,  after  it  has  been  brought  to 
the  ground  by  means  of  a  lasso  thrown  round  the  feet. 
One  can  scarcely  travel  a  mile  through  the  camp  without 
seeing  a  dead  horse  somewhere. 

Horses  alive !  At  many  stations  on  the  river  they  fish 
on  horseback,  by  riding  into  a  considerable  depth  of  water 
and  throwing  a  peculiar  kind  of  net,  which  is  drawn  back 
to  the  shore  by  the  horse.  Our  letters  are  delivered  at  the 
door  by  a  rat-tat  in  regular  English  style  from  the  post- 
man, who  is  on  horseback.  The  daily  journal  is  brought  to 
us  by  a  cavalier,  who  hands  it  in  without  dismounting ;  even 
a  beggar-man  rides  up  every  Saturday  to  solicit  Una  limosna 
por  el  amor  de  Dios,  and  he  has  a  license  from  the  police  in 
the  shape  of  a  piece  of  branded  wood  suspended  round  his 
neck.  The  aristocracy  of  beggary  is  evident  in  this  fellow, 
too ;  for  on  one  occasion,  being  offered  cold  meat  and  bread 
by  my  servant,  he  rode  off,  indignantly  saying  he  wanted 
money  to  buy  cigarritos. 

Horses  making  bricks  1    Ay,  incredible  as  it  may  appear. 


260  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Hutchinsox 

there  ai'e  the  very  animals  which  dragged  the  dead  bodies 
of  their  brethren  to  be  made  fuel  of  at  the  brick-kilna 
before  mentioned,  now  driven  round  and  round  in  a  circus, 
tramping  into  malleable  mud  clay  and  water  mixed  to- 
gether,  and  doing  everything  in  the  brick-making  except 
the  moulding. 

Horses  threshing  corn !  Here  at  our  friend's  estancia  I 
see  another  large  circus,  styled  a  hera,  in  which  are  placed 
several  sheaves  of  wheat,  and  into  this  are  turned  fifteen 
to  twenty  horses ;  a  mounted  man  goes  in  also,  and  drives 
these  animals  with  whip  and  yell  round  the  circus  until 
all  the  corn  is  threshed  by  their  tramping. 

Horses  churning  butter!  A  novel  sort  of  thing  it  is  to  see 
a  bag  made  of  hides,  into  which  the  milk  is  put  when  it  is 
turned  suflficiently  sour ;  this  bag,  fastened  to  a  long  strip 
of  rope-hide,  is  attached  at  the  other  end  to  the  leather 
girth  which  is  round  the  horse's  body;  the  latter  is  then 
mounted  by  a  gaucho,  and  ridden  at  a  hard  pace  over  the 
camp  for  a  sufficient  length  of  time  to  secure  the  making 
of  the  butter,  by  bumping  the  milk-bag  against  the  ground. 

A  gaucho  without  his  steed  is  an  impracticability.  To 
move  his  furniture,  consisting  of  beds,  chairs,  tables,  crock- 
ery, or  hardware,  the  horse's  back  is  fitted  to  the  burden. 
Coffins  are  conveyed  to  the  burying-ground  by  being 
strapped  transversely  on  a  horse's  loins ;  and  one  would 
scarcely  be  surprised  to  hear  of  a  specimen  of  the  semi- 
centaur  under  consideration  going  asleep  or  cooking  his 
dinner  on  horseback,  more  especially  with  the  picture  be- 
fore us  of  a  dentist  operating  on  a  poor  fellow's  grinders, 
the  patient  and  his  physician  being  both  mounted. 

No  crusader  of  olden  time  could  have  borne  himself 
more  proudly  at  the  head  of  a  gallant  regiment  bound  to 
the  Holy  Land  than  does  the  gaucho,  who  guides  a  troop 
of  twenty  to  thirty  earretas,  each  drawn  by  six  bullocks, 


Hutchinson]    THE  GAUCHO  AND  HIS  HORSE.  261 

across  the  Pampas  to  Cordova  or  Mendoza.  On  his  saddle, 
chiefly  made  of  untanned  horse-hide  and  sheep-skin,  he  sits 
with  the  consciousness  that  he  is  the  horse's  master.  In- 
deed, it  is  rarely  that  the  real  gaucho  puts  his  foot  in  a 
stirrup, — for  practical  purposes  of  riding  never, — as  it  is 
only  on  state  occasions  that  he  uses  them.  Stirrups  made 
in  this  country  are  of  a  triangular  form,  of  iron  or  silver, 
with  the  base  fabricated  after  the  fashion  of  a  filigree 
cruet-stand,  though  on  a  diminutive  scale.  At  the  museum 
in  Buenos  Ayres  I  saw  some  of  these  triangular  stirrups 
that  were  described  as  having  been  brought  from  Paraguay, 
made  from  hard  wood,  so  large,  clumsy,  and  heavy  as  to 
constitute  in  themselves  a  load  for  a  horse.  With  such 
heavy  stirrups  it  may  be  imagined  what  a  weight  the 
gaucho's  horse  has  to  bear,  when  we  consider  the  compo- 
nent parts  of  the  saddle  or  recado. 

[This  saddle  is  a  very  complex  affair,  made  up  of  layers  of  sheep- 
skin, carpet,  cow-hide,  woollen  cloth,  etc.,  too  intricate  to  be  here  de- 
scribed.    It  consists  in  all  of  twelve  separate  parts.  ] 

The  skill  and  endurance  of  the  gaucho  in  the  manage- 
ment of  horses  is  very  remarkable.  One  of  these  men  is 
reported  to  have  stood  on  the  transverse  bar,  which  crosses 
over  the  gate  of  the  corral,  and  dropped  down  upon  the 
back  of  a  horse,  while  the  animal,  in  company  with  sev- 
eral others,  without  bridle  or  saddle,  was  at  full  gallop  out 
of  the  enclosure.  What  made  the  feat  more  adroit  was 
the  fact  of  his  having  permitted  a  looker-on  to  select  the 
horse  for  him  to  bestride  before  the  whole  lot  were  driven 
out.  The  endurance  of  the  gaucho  is  also  striking ;  and  I 
have  been  told  of  a  man,  well  known  at  Buenos  Ayres, 
having  ridden  a  distance  of  seventy  leagues — that  is  to 
say,  two  hundred  and  ten  miles — in  one  day  to  that  city. 

Sefior  Don  Carlos  Hurtado,  of  Buenos  Ayres,  informs  mo 


262  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.     [Hutchinsok 

that  the  great  gaucho  game,  in  which  the  famous  Rosas 
"was  most  proficient,  was  what  is  called  el  pialar, — that  is, 
catching  horses  by  lassoing  their  feet  (the  ordinary  mode 
of  doing  this  round  the  neck  is  called  enlaser).  Two  lines 
of  horsemen,  each  from  ten  to  twenty  in  number,  are 
placed  at  distances  so  far  apart  as  to  allow  a  mounted 
gaucho  to  pass  between  them.  This  man  is  to  gallop  as 
fast  as  he  can  from  one  end  to  the  other, — in  fact,  to  run 
the  gauntlet.  Every  horseman  in  the  lines  between  which 
he  passes  is  furnished  with  a  lasso.  As  he  gallops  up  to 
the  end  of  the  line  the  first  lasso  is  thrown ;  should  it  miss 
him,  the  second  is  cast,  and  so  on.  The  dexterity  evidenced 
by  the  watchfulness  of  men  able  to  throw  in  such  rapid 
succession  after  a  hoi'se  which  is  galloping,  whilst  they  are 
standing,  is  truly  expert.  At  length  the  horse  is  pinned, 
and  down  he  falls  as  if  he  were  shot.  And  now  the  activity 
of  the  gaucho  is  displayed,  for  he  comes  on  his  feet  with- 
out any  injury,  smoking  his  cigarette  as  coolly  as  when  he 
lighted  it  at  the  starting-post. 

The  original  popularity  of  Eosas  was  founded  on  his 
gaucho  dexterity. 

The  game  of  el  pato  is  performed  by  sewing  a  cooked 
duck  into  a  piece  of  hide,  leaving  a  leather  point  at  each 
end  for  the  hand  to  grasp.  This  play  having  been  in 
former  times  limited  in  its  carousal  to  the  feast  of  St.  John 
(or  San  Juan),  a  gaucho  took  it  up.  Whoever  is  the 
smartest  secures  the  duck,  and  gallops  away  to  any  house 
where  he  knows  a  woman  residing  who  bears  the  name  of 
Juana, — Joan  I  suppose  she  would  be  called  in  English.  It 
is  an  established  rule  that  the  lady  of  this  name  should 
give  a  four-real  piece  (i.e.,  one  shilling  and  sixpence),  either 
with  the  original  duck  returned  or  another  equally  complete. 
Then  away  he  gallops  to  another  house  where  lives  a 
maiden  of  the  name  of  Leonora,  followed  by  a  troop  of 


Hutchinson]    THE  OAUCHO  AND  HIS  HORSE.  263 

his  gaucho  colleagues,  trying  to  snap  the  duck-bag  out  of 
his  hand.  With  it,  of  course,  must  be  delivered  up  the 
four-real  piece  in  the  best  of  good  humor.  Falls  and 
broken  legs  have  often  been  the  result  of  this  game. 

Juego  de  la  sortija  is  a  class  of  sport  played  by  having  a 
small  finger-ring  fastened  under  a  gibbet,  beneath  which 
a  gaucho  gallops,  and  tries  to  tilt  off  the  ring  with  a  skewer 
which  he  holds  in  his  hand.     This  is  done  for  a  prize. 

The  salutation  between  two  gauchos — even  though  they 
be  the  best  of  friends — who  have  not  met  for  a  long  time 
is  prefixed  by  a  pass  of  arms  with  their  knives.  The  con- 
duet  of  these  men  is  in  general  marked  by  sobriety,  but 
when  the  "  patron"  pays  them  their  wages  they  often  buy 
a  dozen  of  brandy  or  of  gin,  and  this  is  all  drunk,  or 
spilled  in  di-inking,  by  one  man  at  a  single  sitting. 

It  often  happens  in  the  gaucho  communities  that  some 
one  gains  a  reputation  for  bravery.  To  prove  his  courage, 
this  hero  goes  to  a  pulperia,  with  a  bottle  in  one  hand  and 
a  knife  in  the  other,  stands  at  the  door,  and  turns  out  all 
the  occupants.  One  gaucho  in  the  north  and  another  in 
the  south  hear  of  each  other's  bravery,  obtain  a  meeting, 
and,  after  returning  compliments,  draw  out  their  knives 
and  fight  to  the  death. 

The  gaucho  dress  is  peculiar, — a  poncho,  which  is  placed 
over  the  head  by  a  hole  in  the  centre,  and  which  falls  over 
the  body  to  the  hips.  This  is  often  of  a  very  gay  pattern, 
especially  on  Sundays  and  holidays.  The  lower  garment 
is  a  curious  combination  of  bedgown  and  Turkish  trousers, 
named  calzongillos ;  it  is  bordered  by  a  fringe,  sometimes 
of  rich  lace,  from  two  to  six  inches  in  depth.  Enormous 
spurs  form  part  of  the  toilette.  I  saw  a  pair  on  a  gaucho 
at  the  estancia  of  my  friend  Dr.  Perez  that  measured 
seven  inches  in  diameter.  These  were  of  a  larger  size  than 
those    mentioned    by   Mr.   Darwin   in    his   "Journal   of 


264  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.    [Hutchinson 

Researches,"  describing  the  "  Beagle's"  voyage  round  the 
world,  and  which  he  saw  in  Chile,  measuring  six  inches  in 
the  same  direction  as  aforesaid.  The  boots  for  working 
purposes  are  made  of  untanned  hide,  but  those  for  holiday 
dress  are  often  of  patent  leather  with  bright  scarlet  tops. 

Many  of  the  gauchos  wear  purple  or  yellow  handker- 
chiefs over  their  heads,  inside  the  sombrero,  and  others 
have  wide  belts  around  their  bodies,  that  are  glistening 
with  silver  dollars  tacked  on.  The  costume  of  a  gaucho  is, 
however,  only  complete  when  he  is  on  horseback  with  the 
bolas,  the  lasso,  and  a  knife  at  his  girdle.  The  bolas  consists 
of  two  balls,  which  are  fastened  at  the  end  of  two  short 
leathern  ropes,  and  thrown  by  means  of  another  short 
thong, — all  three  being  secured  together, — when  they  are 
whirled  round  the  head  of  the  thrower  before  propulsion, 
which  is  so  efficaciously  managed  as  to  bring  down  at  once 
the  horse  or  cow  in  whose  legs  they  get  entangled. 

Mr.  Prescott,  in  his  admirable  work  on  the  "  History  and 
Conquest  of  Peru,"  when  alluding  to  the  attack  made  by 
the  Peruvians  on  their  ancient  capital  Cuzco,  then  (a.d. 
1535)  occupied  by  the  Spanish  invaders  under  Pizarro^ 
writes  thus  of  the  lasso :  "  One  weapon  peculiar  to  South 
American  warfare  was  used  to  some  effect  by  the  Peruvians. 
This  was  the  lasso, — a  long  rope  with  a  noose  at  the  end, 
which  they  adroitly  threw  over  the  rider,  or  entangled 
with  it  the  legs  of  his  horse,  so  as  to  bring  them  both  to 
the  ground.  More  than  one  family  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy  by  this  expedient."  The  knowledge  of  the 
weapon  was  therefore,  in  all  probability,  derived  from  this 
quarter. 

The  horse-riding  of  the  Chaco  Indians,  even  in  our  day, 
surpasses  that  of  the  gaucho.  Fancy  a  troop  of  horses, 
apparently  riderless,  galloping  at  full  speed,  yet  each  of 
these  animals  is  managed  by  a  man  who,  with  one  arm 


Darwin]        VALPARAISO  AND  ITS  VICINITY.  265 

over  the  neck  of  his  brute,  and  with  his  other  hand  guiding 
a  bridle  as  well  as  grasping  a  lance,  supports  the  whole 
weight  of  his  body  by  the  back  of  the  feet  near  the  toes, 
clinging  on  the  horse's  spine  above  bis  loins, — the  rider's 
body  being  thus  extended,  under  cover  of  the  steed's  side. 
As  quick  as  thought  he  is  up  and  standing  on  the  horse's 
back  with  a  war-cry  of  defiance, — although,  according  to 
Captain  Page,  U.S.N,,  never  flinging  away  his  javelin,  for 
with  him  it  must  be  a  hand-to-hand  fight, — whilst  with 
equal  rapidity  he  is  down  again,  so  as  to  be  protected  by 
the  body  of  the  horse,  which  is  all  the  time  in  full  gallop. 

Mr.  Coghlan,  C.B.,  and  now  attached  to  the  Buenos 
Ayres  government,  writes  of  those  whom  he  saw  when 
exploring  the  Salado  del  Norte:  "The  riding  of  the  In- 
dians is  wonderful.  The  gauchos  even  give  their  horses 
some  preliminary  training;  but  the  Indian  catches  him 
(of  course  with  the  lasso),  throws  him  down,  forces  a 
wooden  bit  into  his  mouth,  with  a  piece  of  hide  binds  it 
fast  to  the  lower  jaw,  and  rides  him.  I  have  seen  a  man  at 
the  full  gallop  of  his  horse  put  his  hand  on  the  mane  and 
jump  forward  on  his  feet,  letting  the  animal  go  on  without 
a  check,  merely  to  put  his  hand  to  something." 


VALPARAISO  AND  ITS  VICINITY. 

CHARLES   DARWIN. 

[It  is  doubtful  if  there  exists  a  more  interesting  work  of  scien- 
tific travel  than  Darwin's  "  Journal  of  Researches  into  the  Natural 
History  and  Geology  of  the  Countries  visited  during  the  Voyage 
Round  the  World  of  H.  M.  S.  Beagle."  Nothing  of  scientific  in- 
terest and  value  seems  to  have  missed  the  eyes  of  the  indefatigable  ex- 
plorer, and  he  has  described  what  he  saw  in  so  lucid  and  agreeable  a 


266  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Darwik 

style  as  to  make  his  work  a  veritable  classic  of  travel  and  research. 
We  give  here  his  description  of  Valparaiso  and  the  adjoining  country.] 

Juli/  23. — The  "  Beagle"  anchored  late  at  night  in  the 
bay  of  Valparaiso,  the  chief  seaport  of  Chile.  When 
morning  came  everything  appeared  delightful.  After 
Tierra  del  Fuego  the  climate  felt  quite  delicious, — the  at- 
mosphere 80  dry,  and  the  heavens  so  clear  and  blue  with 
the  sun  shining  brightly,  that  all  nature  seemed  sparkling 
with  life.  The  view  fi-om  the  anchorage  is  very  pretty. 
The  town  is  built  at  the  very  foot  of  a  range  of  hills,  about 
sixteen  hundred  feet  high  and  rather  steep.  From  its 
position  it  consists  of  one  long,  straggling  street,  which 
runs  parallel  to  the  beach,  and  wherever  a  ravine  comes 
down  the  houses  are  piled  up  on  each  side  of  it.  The 
rounded  hills,  being  only  partially  protected  by  a  very 
scanty  vegetation,  are  worn  into  numberless  little  gullies, 
which  expose  a  singularly  bright  red  soil.  From  this 
cause,  and  from  the  low  whitewashed  houses  with  tile 
roofs,  the  view  reminded  me  of  St.  Cruz  in  Teueriffe. 

In  a  northeasterly  direction  there  are  some  fine  glimpses 
of  the  Andes ;  but  these  mountains  appear  much  grander 
when  viewed  from  the  neighboring  hills ;  the  great  distance 
at  which  they  are  situated  can  then  more  readily  be  per- 
ceived. The  volcano  of  Aconcagua  is  particularly  mag- 
nificent. This  huge  and  irregularly  conical  mass  has  an 
elevation  greater  than  that  of  Chimborazo;  for,  from 
measurements  made  by  oflScers  of  the  "Beagle,"  its  height 
is  no  less  than  twenty-three  thousand  feet.  The  Cordillera, 
however,  viewed  from  this  point,  owe  the  greater  part  of 
their  beauty  to  the  atmosphere  through  which  they  are 
seen.  When  the  sun  was  setting  in  the  Pacific,  it  was 
admirable  to  watch  how  clearly  their  rugged  outlines  could 
be  distinguished,  yet  how  varied  and  how  delicate  were  the 
shades  of  their  color. 


Dabwin]         VALPARAISO  AND  ITS  VICINITY.  267 

The  immediate  neighborhood  of  Valparaiso  is  not  very 
productive  to  the  naturaUst.  During  the  long  summer  the 
wind  blows  steadily  from  the  southward,  and  a  little  oflf 
shore,  so  that  rain  never  falls ;  during  the  three  winter 
months,  however,  it  is  sufficiently  abundant.  The  vegeta- 
tion in  consequence  is  very  scanty :  except  in  some  deep 
valleys  there  are  no  trees,  and  only  a  little  grass  and  a  few 
low  bushes  are  scattered  over  the  less  steep  parts  of  the 
hills.  When  we  reflect  that  at  the  distance  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  to  the  south  this  side  of  the  Andes  is 
completely  hidden  by  one  impenetrable  forest,  the  contrast 
is  very  remarkable. 

I  took  several  long  walks  while  collecting  objects  of 
natural  history.  The  country  is  pleasant  for  exercise. 
There  are  many  very  beautiful  flowers;  and,  as  in  most 
other  dry  climates,  the  plants  and  shrubs  possess  strong 
and  peculiar  odors, — even  one's  clothes  in  brushing  through 
them  became  scented.  I  did  not  cease  from  wonder  at 
finding  each  succeeding  day  as  fine  as  the  foregoing.  What 
a  difference  does  climate  make  in  the  enjoyment  of  life! 
How  opposite  are  the  sensations  when  viewing  black 
mountains  half  enveloped  in  clouds,  and  seeing  another 
range  through  the  light  blue  haze  of  a  fine  day!  The 
one  for  a  time  may  be  very  sublime ;  the  other  is  all  gayety 
and  happy  life. 

August  14- — I  set  out  on  a  riding  excursion,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  geologizing  the  basal  parts  of  the  Andes,  which 
alone  at  this  time  of  the  year  are  not  shut  up  by  the  winter 
snow.  Our  first  day's  ride  was  northward  along  the  sea- 
coast.  After  dark  we  reached  the  Hacienda  de  Quintero, 
the  estate  which  formerly  belonged  to  Lord  Cochrane. 
My  object  in  coming  here  was  to  see  the  great  beds  of 
shells  which  stand  some  yards  above  the  level  of  the  sea, 
and  are  burnt  for  lime.  The  proofs  of  the  elevation  of  this 
w 


268  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Darwin 

whole  line  of  coast  are  unequivocal :  at  the  height  of  a  few- 
hundred  feet  old-looking  shells  are  numerous,  and  I  found 
some  at  thirteen  hundred  feet.  These  shells  either  lie  loose 
upon  the  surface  or  are  embedded  in  a  reddish-black  vege- 
table mould.  1  was  very  much  surprised  to  find  under 
the  microscope  that  this  vegetable  mould  is  really  marine 
mud,  full  of  minute  particles  of  organic  bodies. 

15th. — We  returned  towards  the  valley  of  Quillota.  The 
country  was  exceedingly  pleasant,  just  such  as  poets 
would  call  pastoral ;  green  open  lawns,  separated  by  small 
valleys  with  rivulets,  and  the  cottages,  we  may  suppose  of 
the  shepherds,  scattered  on  the  hill-sides.  We  were  obliged 
to  cross  the  ridge  of  the  Chihcauquen.  At  its  base  there 
were  many  fine  evergreen  forest-trees,  but  these  flourished 
only  in  the  ravines,  where  there  was  running  water.  Any 
person  who  had  seen  only  the  country  near  Valparaiso 
would  never  have  imagined  that  there  had  been  such  pic- 
turesque spots  in  Chile. 

As  soon  as  we  reached  the  brow  of  the  Sierra,  the  valley 
of  Quillota  was  immediately  under  our  feet.  The  prospect 
was  one  of  remarkable  artificial  luxuriance.  The  valley  is 
very  broad  and  quite  flat,  and  is  thus  easily  irrigated  in  all 
parts.  The  little  square  gardens  are  crowded  with  orange- 
and  olive-trees  and  every  sort  of  vegetable.  On  each  side 
huge  bare  mountains  rise,  and  this  from  the  contrast  ren- 
ders the  patchwork  valley  the  more  pleasing.  Whoever 
called  Valparaiso  the  "  Valley  of  Paradise"  must  have  been 
thinking  of  Quillota.  We  crossed  over  to  the  Hacienda  de 
San  Isidro,  situated  at  the  very  foot  of  the  Bell  Mountain. 

Chile,  as  may  be  seen  in  the  maps,  is  a  narrow  strip  of 
land  between  the  Cordillera  and  the  Pacific ;  and  this  strip 
is  itself  traversed  by  several  mountain-lines,  which  in  this 
part  run  parallel  to  the  great  range.  Between  these  outer 
lines  and  the  main  Cordillera  a  euccession  of  level  basins,. 


Darwin]         VALPARAISO  AND   ITS  VICINITY.  269 

generally  opening  into  each  other  by  narrow  passages,  ex- 
tend far  to  the  southward;  in  these  the  principal  towns 
are  situated,  as  San  Felipe,  Santiago,  San  Fernando.  These 
basins  or  plains,  together  with  the  transverse  flat  valleys 
(like  that  of  Quillota)  which  connect  them  with  the  coast, 
I  have  no  doubt  are  the  bottoms  of  ancient  inlets  and  deep 
bays,  such  as  at  the  present  day  intersect  every  part  of 
Tierra  del  Fuego  and  the  western  coast.  Chile  must  for- 
merly have  resembled  the  latter  country  in  the  configura- 
tion of  its  land  and  water.  The  resemblance  was  occa- 
sionally shown  strikingly  when  a  level  fog-bank  covered, 
as  with  a  mantle,  all  the  lower  parts  of  the  country ;  the 
white  vapor  curling  into  the  ravines  beautifully  repre- 
sented little  coves  and  bays,  and  here  and  there  a  solitary 
hillock,  peeping  up,  showed  that  it  had  formerly  stood 
there  as  an  islet.  The  contrast  of  these  flat  valleys  and 
basins  with  the  irregular  mountains  gave  the  scenery  a 
character  which  to  me  was  new  and  very  interesting. 

From  the  natural  slope  to  seaward  of  these  plains  they 
are  very  easily  irrigated,  and  in  consequence  singularly 
fertile.  Without  this  process  the  land  would  produce 
scarcely  anything,  for  during  the  whole  summer  the  sky  is 
cloudless.  The  mountains  and  hills  are  dotted  over  with 
bushes  and  low  trees,  and  excepting  these  the  vegetation 
is  very  scanty.  Each  land-owner  in  the  valley  possesses  a 
certain  portion  of  hill-country,  where  his  half-wild  cattle, 
in  considerable  numbers,  manage  to  find  sufiicient  pasture. 

Once  every  year  there  is  a  grand  rodeo,  when  all  the 
cattle  are  driven  down,  counted,  and  marked,  and  a  certain 
number  separated  to  be  fattened  in  the  irrigated  fields. 
Wheat  is  extensively  cultivated,  and  a  good  deal  of  Indian 
corn ;  a  kind  of  bean  is,  however,  the  staple  article  of  food 
for  the  common  laborers.  The  orchards  produce  an  over- 
flowing abundance  of  peaches,  figs,  and  grapes.     With  all 


270  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Darwin 

these  advantages,  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  ought  to 
be  much  more  prosperous  than  they  are. 

16th. — The  major-domo  of  the  hacienda  was  good  enough 
to  give  me  a  guide  and  fresh  horses,  and  in  the  morning 
we  set  out  to  ascend  the  Campana,  or  Bell  Mountain,  which 
is  six  thousand  four  hundred  feet  high.  The  paths  were 
very  bad,  but  both  the  geology  and  scenery  amply  repaid 
the  trouble.  We  reached,  by  the  evening,  a  spring  called 
the  Agua  del  Guanaco,  which  is  situated  at  a  great  height. 
This  must  be  an  old  name,  for  it  is  very  many  j^ears  since 
a  guanaco  drank  its  waters.  During  the  ascent  I  noticed 
that  nothing  but  bushes  grew  on  the  northern  slope, 
while  on  the  southern  slope  there  was  a  bamboo  about 
fifteen  feet  high.  In  a  few  places  there  were  palms,  and  I 
was  surprised  to  see  one  at  an  elevation  of  at  least  four 
thousand  five  hundred  feet.  These  palms  are,  for  their 
family,  ugly  trees.  Their  stem  is  very  large  and  of  a 
curious  form,  being  thicker  in  the  middle  than  at  the  base 
or  top.  They  are  excessively  numerous  in  some  parts  of 
Chile,  and  valuable  on  account  of  a  sort  of  treacle  made 
from  the  sap. 

On  one  estate  near  Petorca  they  tried  to  count  them,  but 
failed,  after  having  numbered  several  hundred  thousand. 
Every  year  in  the  early  spring,  in  August,  very  many  are 
cut  down,  and  when  the  trunk  is  lying  on  the  ground  the 
crown  of  leaves  is  lopped  off.  The  sap  then  immediately 
begins  to  flow  from  the  upper  end,  and  continues  so  doing 
for  some  months ;  it  is,  however,  necessary  that  a  thin  slice 
should  be  shaved  off  from  that  end  every  morning,  so  as  to 
expose  a  fresh  surface.  A  good  tree  will  give  ninety  gal- 
lons, and  all  this  must  have  been  contained  in  the  vessels 
of  the  appai'ently  dry  trunk.  It  is  said  that  the  sap  flows 
much  more  quickly  on  those  days  when  the  sun  is  power- 
ful, and  likewise  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  take 


Darwin]         VALPARAISO  AND  ITS  VICINITY.  271 

care,  in  cutting  down  the  tree,  that  it  should  fall  with  its 
head  upward  on  the  slope  of  the  hill ;  for  if  it  falls  down 
the  slope  scarcely  any  sap  will  flow,  although  in  that  case 
one  would  have  thought  that  the  action  would  have  been 
aided,  instead  of  checked,  by  the  force  of  gravity.  The  sap 
is  concentrated  by  boiling,  and  is  then  called  treacle,  which 
it  very  much  resembles  in  taste. 

"We  unsaddled  our  horses  near  the  spring,  and  prepared 
to  pass  the  night.  The  evening  was  fine,  and  the  atmos- 
phere so  clear  that  the  masts  of  vessels  at  anchor  in  the 
bay  of  Valparaiso,  although  no  less  than  twenty-six  geo- 
graphical miles  distant,  could  be  distinguished  clearly  as 
little  black  streaks.  A  ship  doubling  the  point  under  sail 
appeared  as  a  bright  white  speck.  Anson  expresses  much 
surprise,  in  his  voyage,  at  the  distance  at  which  his  vessels 
were  detected  from  the  coast ;  but  he  did  not  sufficiently 
allow  for  the  height  of  the  land  and  the  great  transparency 
of  the  air. 

The  setting  of  the  sun  was  glorious,  the  valleys  being 
black,  whilst  the  snowy  peaks  of  the  Andes  yet  retained  a 
ruby  tint.  When  it  was  dark  we  made  a  fire  beneath  a 
little  arbor  of  bamboos,  fried  our  charqui  (or  dried  slips  of 
beef),  took  our  mate,  and  were  quite  comfortable.  There 
is  an  inexpressible  charm  in  this  living  in  the  open  air. 
The  evening  was  calm  and  still ;  the  shrill  noise  of  the 
mountain  bizcacha  and  the  faint  cry  of  a  goatsucker  were 
occasionally  to  be  heard.  Besides  these,  few  birds,  or  even 
insects,  frequent  these  dry,  parched  mountains. 

17th. — In  the  morning  we  climbed  up  the  rough  mass  of 
greenstone  which  crowns  the  summit.  This  rock,  as  fre- 
quently happens,  was  much  shattered  and  broken  into 
huge  angular  fragments.  I  observed,  however,  one  re- 
markable circumstance, — namely,  that  many  of  the  sur- 
iaces  presented  every  degree  of  freshness,  some  appearing 


272  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Darwin 

as  if  broken  the  day  before,  while  on  others  lichens  had 
either  just  become,  or  had  long  grown,  attached.  I  so 
fully  believed  that  this  was  owing  to  the  frequent  earth- 
quakes, that  I  felt  inclined  to  hurry  from  below  each  loose 
pile.  As  one  might  very  easily  be  deceived  in  a  fact  of 
this  kind,  I  doubted  its  accuracy,  until  ascending  Mount 
Wellington,  in  Van  Dieraen's  Land,  where  earthquakes  do 
not  occur,  and  there  I  saw  the  summit  of  the  mountain 
similarly  composed  and  similarly  shattered,  but  all  the 
blocks  appeared  as  if  they  had  been  hurled  into  their 
present  position  thousands  of  years  ago. 

We  spent  the  day  on  the  summit,  and  I  never  enjoyed 
one  more  thoroughly.  Chile,  bounded  by  the  Andes  and 
the  Pacific,  was  seen  as  in  a  map.  The  pleasure  from  the 
scenery,  in  itself  beautiful,  was  heightened  by  the  many  re- 
flections which  arose  from  the  mere  view  of  the  Campana 
range,  with  its  lesser  parallel  ones,  and  of  the  broad  valley 
of  Quillota  directly  intersecting  them.  Who  can  avoid 
wondering  at  the  force  which  has  upheaved  these  moun- 
tains, and  even  more  so  at  the  countless  ages  which  it  must 
have  required  to  have  broken  through,  removed,  and  lev- 
elled whole  masses  of  them?  It  is  well  in  this  case  to  call 
to  mind  the  vast  shingle  and  sedimentary  beds  of  Pata- 
gonia, which,  if  heaped  on  the  Cordillera,  would  increase 
its  height  by  so  many  thousand  feet.  When  in  that 
country  I  wondered  how  any  mountain-chain  could  supply 
such  masses  and  not  have  been  utterly  obliterated.  We 
must  not  now  reverse  the  wonder,  and  doubt  whether  all- 
powerful  time  can  grind  down  mountains  —  even  the 
gigantic  Cordillera — into  gravel  and  mud. 

The  appearance  of  the  Andes  was  different  from  that 
which  I  had  expected.  The  lower  line  of  the  snow  was  of 
course  horizontal,  and  to  this  line  the  even  summits  of  the 
range  seemed   quite  parallel.     Only  at   long   intervals  a 


PARWIN]         VALPARAISO  AND  ITS  VICINITY.  273 

group  of  points  or  a  single  cone  showed  where  a  volcano 
had  existed,  or  does  now  exist.  Hence  the  range  resem- 
bled a  great  solid  wall,  surmounted  here  and  there  by  a 
tower,  and  making  a  most  perfect  barrier  to  the  country. 

Almost  every  part  of  the  hill  had  been  drilled  by  at- 
tempts to  open  gold-mines;  the  rage  for  mining  has  left 
scarcely  a  spot  in  Chile  unexamined.  I  spent  the  evening 
as  before,  talking  round  the  fire  with  my  two  companions. 
The  guasos  of  Chile,  who  correspond  to  the  gauehos  of 
the  Pampas,  are,  however,  a  very  different  set  of  beings. 
Chile  is  the  more  civilized  of  the  two  countries,  and  the  in- 
habitants, in  consequence,  have  lost  much  individual  char- 
acter. Gradations  in  rank  are  much  more  strongly  marked. 
The  guaso  does  not  by  any  means  consider  every  man  his 
equal,  and  I  was  quite  surprised  to  find  that  my  compan- 
ions did  not  like  to  eat  at  the  same  time  with  myself. 

This  feeling  of  inequality  is  a  necessary  consequence  of 
the  existence  of  an  aristocracy  of  wealth.  It  is  said  that 
some  few  of  the  greater  land-owners  possess  from  five  to 
ten  thousand  pounds  sterling  per  annum,  an  inequality  of 
riches  which  I  believe  is  not  met  with  in  any  of  the  cattle- 
breeding  countries  eastward  of  the  Andes.  A  traveller 
does  not  here  meet  that  unbounded  hospitality  which  re- 
fuses all  payment,  but  yet  is  so  kindly  offered  that  no 
scruples  can  be  raised  in  accepting  it.  Almost  every  house 
in  Chile  will  receive  you  for  the  night,  but  a  trifle  is  ex- 
pected to  be  given  in  the  morning ;  even  a  rich  man  will 
accept  two  or  three  shillings. 

The  gaucho,  though  he  may  be  a  cut-throat,  is  a  gen- 
tleman ;  the  guaso  is  in  few  respects  better,  but  at  the 
same  time  a  vulgar,  ordinary  fellow.  The  two  men,  al- 
though employed  much  in  the  same  manner,  are  different 
in  their  habits  and  attire,  and  the  peculiarities  of  each  are 

universal  in  their  respective  countries.     The  gaucho  seema 
Vol.  I— 18 


274  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [BouRNB 

part  of  his  horse,  and  scorns  to  exert  himself  excepting 
when  on  its  back ;  the  guaso  may  be  hired  to  work  as  a 
laborer  in  the  fields.  The  former  lives  entirely  on  animal 
food,  the  latter  almost  wholly  on  vegetable.  We  do  not 
here  see  the  white  boots,  the  broad  drawers,  and  scarlet 
chilipa,  the  picturesque  costume  of  the  Pampas.  Here 
common  trousers  are  protected  by  black  and  green  worsted 
leggings.  The  poncho,  however,  is  common  to  both.  The 
chief  pride  of  the  guaso  lies  in  his  spurs,  which  are  ab- 
surdly large.  I  measured  one  which  was  six  inches  in 
the  diameter  of  the  rowel,  and  the  rowel  itself  contained 
upward  of  thirty  points.  The  stirrups  are  on  the  same 
scale,  each  consisting  of  a  square  carved  block  of  wood, 
hollowed  out,  yet  weighing  three  or  four  pounds.  The 
guaso  is  perhaps  more  expert  with  the  lazo  than  the 
gaucho,  but,  from  the  nature  of  the  country,  he  does  not 
know  the  use  of  the  bolas. 


AN  ESCAPE  FROM  CAPTIVITY. 

BENJAMIN   F.  BOURNE. 

[Benjamin  Franklin  Bourne,  mate  of  a  vessel  that  sailed,  via  the 
Straits  of  Magellan,  for  California  in  1849,  during  the  intensity  of  the 
gold  fever,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Patagonians,  having  landed  to 
bring  off  some  of  the  sailors.  He  remained  in  their  hands  for  more 
than  three  months,  and  in  his  "The  Captive  in  Patagonia"  gives 
a  detailed  description  of  the  character  and  customs  of  the  natives  of 
that  country.  We  extract  from  his  work  a  good  brief  description  of 
the  country  and  its  people.] 

Patagonia  as  it  offered  itself  to  my  observation  more 
than  answered  the  descriptions  of  geographers, — bleak, 
barren,  desolate,  beyond  description  or  conception, — only 


Bourne]  AN  ESCAPE  FROM  CAPTIVITY.  275 

to  be  appreciated  by  being  seen.  Viewed  from  the  Straits 
of  Magellan,  it  rises  in  gentle  undulations  or  terraces. 
Far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  in  a  westerly  direction,  it  assumes 
a  more  broken  and  hilly  appearance,  and  long  ranges  of 
mountains  extending  from  north  to  south  divide  the  eastern 
from  the  western  shore.  The  soil  is  of  a  light,  sandy 
character,  and  bears  nothing  worthy  the  name  of  a  tree. 
Low  bushes,  or  underwood,  are  tolerably  abundant,  and  in 
the  valleys  a  coarse  wiry  grass  grows  luxuriantly.  Streams 
of  water  are  rare.  The  natives  draw  their  supplies  princi- 
pally from  springs  or  pools  in  the  valleys,  the  water  of 
which  is  generally  brackish  and  disagreeable. 

The  variety  of  animal  is  nearly  as  limited  as  that  of 
vegetable  productions.  The  guanaco,  a  quadruped  allied 
to  the  lama  and  with  some  resemblance  to  the  camelopard, 
is  found  in  considerable  numbers.  It  is  larger  than  the 
red  deer,  fleet  on  the  foot,  usually  found  in  large  herds, 
frequenting  not  only  the  plains,  but  found  along  the  course 
of  the  Andes.  Its  flesh  is  a  principal  article  of  food ;  its 
skin  is  dried  with  the  hair  on,  in  such  a  manner  that,  when 
wet,  it  retains  its  pliability  and  softness.  This  process  of 
preserving  skins  seems  to  be  peculiar  to  the  Indian  tribes^ 
and  is  not  unlike  that  by  which  buffalo-robes,  bear-skins,, 
buckskins,  and  other  articles  of  luxury,  and  even  necessity, 
among  us,  are  prepared  by  the  North  American  Indians. 
Guanaco-skins  are  cut  into  pieces  of  all  sizes,  and  sewed 
into  a  thousand  fanciful  patterns,  every  workman  origi- 
nating a  style  to  suit  himself.  The  hoofs  are  sometimes 
turned  to  account  by  the  natives  as  soles  for  shoes,  when 
they  indulge  in  such  a  luxury,  which  is  not  often. 

The  enemy  of  the  guanaco  is  the  cougar,  or  "  American 
lion,"  smaller  than  its  African  namesake,  and  more  resem- 
bling the  tiger  in  his  character  and  habits,  having  a  smooth, 
sleek  coat,  of  a  brownish-yellow  color, — altogether  a  very 


276  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bourne 

beautiful  but  ferocious  creature.     His  chase  is  a  favorite. 


though  rare  and  dangerous,  sport  of  the  natives.  Patago- 
nia likewise  boasts  of  the  skunk,  whose  flesh  is  used  for 
food.  There  are  also  foxes,  and  innumerable  mice.  Of 
birds,  the  only  noticeable  varieties  are  the  condor,  in  the 
Andes,  and  the  cassowary,  a  species  of  ostrich,  smaller 
than  that  of  Africa,  on  the  plains ;  its  plumage  is  not 
abundant,  generally  of  a  gray  or  dun  color.  Its  flesh  is 
tender  and  sweet,  and  with  the  fat  much  prized  by  the 
Indians.  Like  the  African  ostrich,  it  is  exceedingly  swift, 
•only  to  be  captured  on  horseback,  and  often  fleet  enough  to 
outrun  the  fastest  racer. 

The  climate  is  severe ;  the  Rio  Negro  forms  the  northern 
boundary,  and  nearly  the  whole  country  is  south  of  the 
parallel  of  40°  south  latitude.  At  the  time  of  my  capture, 
which  was  in  the  month  of  May,  the  weather  corresponded 
to  that  of  November  in  the  New  England  States.  Its 
chilliness,  however,  was  greatly  increased  by  the  bleak 
winds  of  that  exposed  locality.  Along  the  Straits  of 
Magellan  the  weather  is  often  exceedingly  changeable. 
Sudden  and  severe  squalls,  often  amounting  almost  to  a 
hurricane,  vex  the  navigation  of  the  straits,  and  sweep 
over  the  coast  with  fearful  fury. 

The  habits  of  the  Patagonians,  or  at  least  of  the  tribe 
among  whom  I  was  cast,  are  migratory,  wandering  over 
the  country  in  quest  of  game,  or  as  their  caprice  may 
prompt  them.  They  subsist  altogether  on  the  flesh  of  ani- 
mals and  birds.  The  guanaco  furnishes  most  of  their  food, 
and  all  their  clothing.  A  mantle  of  skins,  sewed  with  the 
sinews  of  the  ostrich,  fitted  closely  about  the  neck  and  ex- 
tending below  the  knee,  is  their  only  article  of  dress,  except 
in  the  coldest  weather,  when  a  kind  of  shoe,  made  of  the 
hind  hoof  and  a  portion  of  the  skin  above  it,  serves  to 
protect  their  inferior  extremities. 


Bourne]  AN  ESCAPE  FROM  CAPTIVITY.  277 

In  person  they  are  large;  on  first  sight,  they  appear 
absolutely  gigantic.  They  are  taller  than  any  other  race  I 
have  seen,  although  it  is  impossible  to  give  any  accurate 
description.  The  only  standard  of  measurement  I  had  was 
my  own  height,  which  is  about  five  feet  ten  inches.  I 
could  stand  very  easily  under  the  arms  of  many  of  them, 
and  all  the  men  were  at  least  a  head  taller  than  myself. 
Their  average  height,  I  should  think,  is  nearly  six  and  a 
half  feet,  and  there  were  specimens  that  could  have  been 
little  less  than  seven  feet  high.  They  have  broad  shoulders, 
full  and  well-developed  chests,  frames  muscular  and  finely 
proportioned,  the  whole  figure  and  air  making  an  impres- 
sion like  that  which  the  first  view  of  the  sons  of  Anak  is 
recorded  to  have  made  on  the  children  of  Israel,  They 
exhibit  enormous  strength,  whenever  they  are  sufficiently 
aroused  to  shake  off  their  constitutional  laziness  and  exert 
it. 

They  have  large  heads,  high  cheek-bones,  like  the  North 
American  Indians,  whom  they  also  resemble  in  their  com- 
plexion, though  it  is  a  shade  or  two  darker.  Their  fore- 
heads are  broad,  but  low,  the  hair  covering  them  nearly  to 
the  eyes;  eyes  full,  generally  black,  or  of  a  dark  brown, 
and  brilliant,  though  expressive  of  but  little  intelligence. 
Thick,  coarse,  and  stiff  hair  protects  the  head,  its  abundance 
making  any  artificial  covering  superfluous.  It  is  worn 
long,  generally  divided  at  the  neck,  so  as  to  hang  in  two 
folds  over  the  shoulders  and  back,  but  is  sometimes  bound 
above  the  temples  by  a  fillet,  over  which  it  flows  in  ample 
luxuriance.  Like  more  civilized  people,  the  Patagonians 
take  great  pride  in  the  proper  disposition  and  effective  dis- 
play of  their  hair.  Their  teeth  are  really  beautiful,  sound 
and  white, — about  the  only  enviable  feature  of  their  per- 
sons. Feet  and  hands  are  large,  but  not  disproportionate 
to  their  total  bulk.     They  have  deep,  heavy  voices  and 


278  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bournh 

speak  in  guttural  tones, — the  worst  guttural  I  ever  heard, 
— with  a  muttering,  indistinct  articulation,  much  as  if 
their  mouths  were  filled  with  hot  pudding. 

Their  countenances  are  generally  stupid,  but,  on  closer 
inspection,  there  is  a  gleam  of  low  cunning  that  flashes 
through  this  dull  mask,  and  is  increasingly  discernible  on 
acquaintance  with  them ;  when  excited,  or  engaged  in  any 
earnest  business  that  calls  their  faculties  into  full  exercise, 
their  features  light  up  with  unexpected  intelligence  and 
animation.  In  fact,  as  one  becomes  familiar  with  them,  he 
will  not  fail  to  detect  an  habitual  expression  of  "  secretive- 
ness"  and  duplicity,  which  he  will  wonder  he  did  not 
observe  sooner.  They  are  almost  as  imitative  as  monkeys, 
and  are  all  great  liars ;  falsehood  is  universal  and  inveter- 
ate with  men,  women,  and  children.  The  youngest  seem  to 
inherit  the  taint,  and  vie  with  the  oldest  in  displaying  it. 
The  detection  of  a  falsehood  gives  them  no  shame  or  un- 
easiness.  To  these  traits  should  be  added  a  thorough- 
paced treachery,  and,  what  might  seem  rather  inconsistent 
with  their  other  qualities,  a  large  share  of  vanity  and  an 
immoderate  love  of  praise. 

[The  author  has  much  more  to  say  in  this  same  vein,  and  gives  a 
detailed  and  valuable  account  of  their  customs,  which  only  his  captivity 
could  have  enabled  him  to  offer.  His  adventures  were  the  reverse  of 
pleasant,  and  he  was  fortunately  successful  in  the  end  in  inducing 
them  to  visit  the  coast  near  an  island  inhabited  by  whites.  Here  he 
made  a  bold  stroke  for  freedom.] 

Our  horses'  heads  were  now  turned  from  the  shore,  and 
we  rode  back  about  an  eighth  of  a  mile  to  a  large  clump 
of  bushes,  unsaddled  our  beasts,  and  waited  some  time  for 
the  rest  of  our  company,  who  had  fallen  in  the  rear.  They 
came  at  last,  our  horses  were  turned  adrift,  fire  was  lighted, 
and,  as  the  day  was  far  spent,  supper  was  in  order.  Then 
ensued  a  repetition — a  final  one,  I  trusted — of  the  grand 


BouRKB]  AN  ESCAPE  FROM  CAPTIVITY.  279 

present  to  be  levied  on  the  Hollanders  [as  the  natives 
called  the  white  settlers],  and  of  the  speech  which  was  to 
draw  them  out.  The  Indians  arranged  that  I  was  to  hoist 
the  English  flag, — the  colors  of  the  unfortunate  brig  "Avon," 
which  they  had  brought  along  at  my  request, — and  then 
to  walk  the  shore  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  islanders. 
On  the  approach  of  a  boat,  I  was  to  be  kept  back  from  the 
beach  to  prevent  escape ;  for  I  found  that  they  were  not, 
after  all,  as  well  assured  of  my  good  faith  as  might  have 
been  desirable.  They  thought,  moreover,  that  when  the 
white  men  saw  a  prisoner  with  them,  they  would  come 
ashore  to  parley  and  oifer  presents  to  effect  his  release ;  in 
that  case  there  might  be  a  chance,  if  the  negotiation 
proved  unsatisfactory,  to  take  bonds  of  fate  in  the  form  of 
another  captive  or  two.  So,  at  least,  there  was  ground  to 
suspect, — and  some  cause  to  fear  that  the  rascals  might 
prove  too  shrewd  for  all  of  us ! 

After  talking  till  a  late  hour,  the  Indians  threw  them- 
selves upon  the  ground,  stuck  their  feet  into  the  bushes 
and  were  soon  fast  asleep.  I  consulted  the  chief  as  to  tht 
propriety  of  modifying  this  arrangement  by  placing  our 
heads,  rather  than  our  feet,  under  cover,  since  both  could 
not  be  accommodated.  He  declined  any  innovations,  and 
told  me  to  go  to  sleep.  I  stretched  myself  on  the  ground, 
but  as  to  sleep  that  was  out  of  question.  I  lay  all  night 
thinking  over  every  possible  expedient  for  escape.  We 
had  no  materials  for  a  boat  or  raft  of  any  description,  and 
it  was  impossible  to  think  of  any  plan  that  promised 
success ;  so  that,  after  tossing  in  body  and  mind  through 
the  weary  hours  of  night,  I  could  only  resolve  to  wait  the 
course  of  events,  and  to  take  advantage  of  the  first  oppor- 
tunity affording  a  reasonable  hope  of  deliverance  from  this 
horrid  captivity.  Snow,  sleet,  and  rain  fell  during  the 
night;   and  I  rose  early,  thoroughly  chilled,  every  tooth 


280  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Botjrnk 

chattering.  A  fire  was  kindled  and  the  last  morsel  of 
meat  that  remained  to  us  was  cooked  and  eaten.  The 
weather  continued  squally  till  the  middle  of  the  afternoon. 

After  breakfast  the  chief  went  with  me  to  the  shore, 
bearing  the  flag.  On  the  beach  I  found  a  strip  of  thick 
board,  to  which  I  fastened  the  colors,  and  then  planted  it 
in  the  sand.  The  bushes  around,  which  have  a  kind  of  oily 
leaf,  and  readily  ignite,  were  set  on  fire.  I  then  walked 
to  the  beach, — but  no  boat  came.  When  it  cleared  up 
sufficiently  to  see,  I  observed  little  objects  moving  about 
on  the  island.  The  day  wore  away  with  fruitless  attempts 
to  attract  their  attention.  "With  an  aching  heart  I  returned, 
at  dark,  to  the  camping-ground.  On  this  island  my  hopes 
had  so  long  centred, — if  they  were  now  to  be  disappointed, 
how  could  I  endure  it  ?  The  Indians  began  to  talk  of  re- 
joining the  tribe  the  following  day ;  I  opposed  the  motion 
with  all  the  dissuasives  at  command,  assuring  them  that  at 
sight  of  our  flag  the  islanders  would  surely  come  over  in  a 
boat,  and  that,  if  they  would  only  wait  a  little,  they  could 
go  over  to  the  island  and  enjoy  themselves  to  their  hearts' 
content;  representing  the  absolute  necessity  that  I  should 
procure  the  rum,  etc.,  we  had  talked  of,  and  how  embar- 
rassing it  would  be  to  go  back  to  the  tribe  empty-handed, 
after  all  that  had  been  said,  to  be  ridiculed  and  reproached. 
It  would  never  do. 

Our  conversation  was  continued  till  quite  late,  when  we 
ranged  ourselves,  hungry  and  weary,  for  another  night. 
For  hours  I  was  unable  to  sleep.  The  uncertainties  of  my 
situation  oppressed  me,  and  I  lay  restless,  with  anxiety  in- 
expressible, inconceivable  by  those  whom  Providence  has 
preserved  from  similar  straits.  It  was  a  season  of  deep, 
suppi'essed,  silent  misery,  in  which  the  heart  found  no 
relief  but  in  the  mute  supplication  to  Him  who  was  alone 
able  to  deliver.     Towards  morning,  exhausted  with  the  in- 


BouRNB]  AN  ESCAPE  FROM  CAPTIVITY.  281 

tensity  of  emotion  acting  on  an  enfeebled  body,  I  slept  a 
little,  and  woke  at  early  dawn,  to  a  fresh  consciousness  of 
my  critical  position. 

The  weather  had  been  fair  during  the  night,  but  there 
were  now  indications  of  another  snow-storm.  I  waited 
long  and  impatiently  for  my  companions  to  awake,  and  at 
last  started  off  in  quest  of  fuel,  on  returning'  with  which 
they  bestirred  themselves  and  started  a  fire,  which  warmed 
our  half-benumbed  limbs.  There  lay  the  little  island, 
beautiful  to  eyes  that  longed,  like  mine,  for  a  habitation 
of  sympathizing  men,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  distant.  It 
almost  seemed  to  recede  while  I  gazed,  so  low  had  my 
hopes  sunken  under  the  pressure  of  disappointment  and 
bitter  uncertainty.  A  violent  snow-storm  soon  setting  in, 
it  was  hidden  from  view ;  everything  seemed  to  be  against 
me.  It  slackened  and  partially  cleared  up ;  then  came  an- 
other gust,  filling  the  air  and  shutting  out  the  prospect. 

In  this  way  it  continued  till  past  noon ;  at  intervals,  as 
the  sky  lighted  up,  I  took  a  firebrand  and  set  fire  to  the 
bushes  on  the  beach,  and  then  hoisted  the  flag  again,  walk- 
ing wearily  to  and  fro  till  the  storm  ceased  and  the  sky 
became  clear.  The  chief  concealed  himself  in  a  clump  of 
bushes,  and  sat  watching  with  cat-like  vigilance  the  move- 
ments of  the  islanders.  After  some  time  he  said  a  boat 
was  coming ;  I  scarcely  durst  look  in  the  direction  indi- 
cated, lest  I  should  experience  a  fresh  disappointment ;  but 
I  did  look,  and  saw,  to  my  great  joy,  a  boat  launched,  with 
four  or  five  men  on  board,  and  pushing  off  the  shore.  On 
they  came ;  the  chief  reported  his  discover j'-,  and  the  rest 
of  the  Indians  came  to  the  beach,  where  I  was  still  walking 
backward  and  forward.  The  boat  approached,  not  directly 
off  where  I  was,  but  an  eighth  of  a  mile,  perhaps,  to  the 
windward,  and  there  lay  on  her  oars. 

The   Indians   hereupon    ordered   me  to  return    to   th© 


282  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Botjrni 

camping-ground,  but,  without  heeding  them,  I  set  off  at  a 
full  run  towards  the  boat.  They  hotly  pursued,  I  occa- 
sionally turning  and  telling  them  to  come  on,  that  I  only 
wanted  to  see  the  boat.  "Stop!  stop!"  they  bawled. 
"  Now,  my  legs,"  said  I,  "  if  ever  you  want  to  serve  me, 
this  is  the  time."  I  had  one  advantage  over  my  pursuers : 
my  shoes,  though  much  the  worse  for  wear,  protected  my 
feet  from  the  sharp  stones,  which  cut  theirs  at  every  step ; 
but,  under  all  disadvantages,  I  found  they  made  about 
equal  speed  with  myself.  As  I  gained  a  point  opposite  the 
boat,  the  Indians  slackened  their  speed  and  looked  uneasily 
at  me ;  the  man  in  the  stern  of  the  boat  hailed  me,  inquiring 
what  Indians  these  were,  what  number  of  them,  and  how 
I  came  among  them.  I  replied  in  as  few  words  as  pos- 
sible, and  told  him  we  wished  to  cross  to  the  island.  He 
shook  his  head ;  they  were  bad  fellows,  he  said ;  he  could 
not  take  me  with  the  Indians.  They  began  to  pull  away. 
I  made  signs  of  distress  and  waved  them  to  return,  shout- 
ing to  them  through  my  hands.  The  boat  was  again 
backed  within  hailing  distance.  "Will  you  look  out  for 
me  if  I  come  by  myself?"     "  Yes,"  was  the  prompt  reply. 

The  Indians  all  this  time  had  kept  within  ten  or  fifteen 
feet  of  me,  with  their  hands  on  their  knives,  and  reiter- 
ating their  commands  to  come  back,  at  the  same  time 
edging  towards  me  in  a  threatening  manner.  "  Yes,  yes," 
I  told  them,  "in  a  moment;  but  I  want  to  look  at  the 
boat," — taking  care,  however,  to  make  good  my  distance 
from  them. 

At  the  instant  of  hearing  the  welcome  assurance  that  I 
should  be  cared  for,  I  drew  out  the  watch  (which  I  had 
brought,  according  to  promise,  to  have  a  new  crystal  in- 
serted at  Holland),  and  threw  it  into  the  bushes ;  the  salt 
water  would  spoil  it,  and,  if  I  should  be  retaken,  the  spoil- 
ing of  that  would  be  an  aggravation  which  might  prove 


BouBMBl  AN  ESCAPE  FROM  CAPTIVITY.  283 

fatal.  At  the  same  moment  I  gave  a  plunge  headlong  into 
the  river;  my  clothes  and  shoes  encumbered  me,  and  the 
surf,  agitated  by  a  high  wind,  rolled  in  heavy  seas  upon 
the  shore.  The  boat  was  forty  or  fifty  yards  off,  and,  as 
the  wind  did  not  blow  square  in  shore,  drifted,  so  as  to  in- 
crease the  original  distance,  unless  counteracted  by  the 
crew.  Whether  the  boat  was  backed  up  towards  me  I  could 
not  determine;  my  head  was  a  great  part  of  the  time 
under  water,  my  eyes  blinded  with  the  surf,  and  most 
strenuous  exertion  was  necessary  to  live  in  such  a  sea. 

As  I  approached  the  boat  I  could  see  several  guns, 
pointed,  apparently,  at  me.  Perhaps  we  had  misunder- 
stood each  other ;  perhaps  they  viewed  me  as  an  enemy. 
In  fact,  they  were  aimed  to  keep  the  Indians  from  follow- 
ing me  into  the  water,  which  they  did  not  attempt.  My 
strength  was  fast  failing  me ;  the  man  at  the  helm,  per- 
ceiving it,  stretched  out  a  rifle  at  arm's  length.  The 
muzzle  dropped  into  the  water  and  arrested  my  feeble 
vision.  Summoning  all  my  remaining  energy,  I  grasped 
it,  and  was  drawn  towards  the  boat ;  a  sense  of  relief  shot 
through  and  revived  me,  but  revived,  also,  such  a  dread 
lest  the  Indians  should  give  chase,  that  I  begged  them  to 
pull  away,  I  could  hold  on.  The  man  reached  down  and 
seized  me  by  the  collar,  and  ordered  his  men  to  ply  their 
oars.  They  had  made  but  a  few  strokes  when  a  simulta- 
neous cry  broke  from  their  lips,  "  Pull  the  dear  man  in ! 
Pull  the  dear  man  in  !"  They  let  fall  their  oars,  laid  hold 
of  me,  and,  in  their  effort  to  drag  me  over  the  side  of  their 
whale-boat,  I  received  some  injury.  I  requested  that  they 
would  let  me  help  myself,  and,  working  my  body  up  suffi- 
ciently to  get  one  knee  over  the  gunwale,  I  gave  a  spring 
with  what  strength  was  left  me,  and  fell  into  the  bottom 
of  the  boat. 

They  kindly  offered  to  strip  me  and  put  on  dry  clothing ; 


284  WORLD'S  GREAT  TRAVELLERS.  [Bourne 

but  I  told  them,  if  they  would  only  work  the  boat  farther 
from  the  shore,  I  would  take  care  of  myself  They  pulled 
away,  while  I  crawled  forward,  divested  myself  of  my 
coat,  and  put  on  one  belonging  to  one  of  the  crew.  Con- 
versation, which  was  attempted,  was  impossible.  It  was 
one  of  the  coldest  days  in  a  Patagonian  winter.  I  was 
chilled  through,  and  could  only  articulate,  "  I  ca-n't  ta-lk 
now ;  I'll  ta-lk  by  a-nd  by."  Some  liquor,  bread,  and  to- 
bacco, which  had  been  put  on  board  for  my  ransom,  on 
supposition  that  this  was  what  the  signal  meant,  was  pro- 
duced for  my  refreshment.  The  sea  was  heavy,  with  a 
strong  head-wind,  so  that,  though  the  men  toiled  vigor- 
ously, our  progress  was  slow.  1  was  soon  comfortably 
warmed  by  the  stimulants  provided,  and  offered  to  lend  a 
hand  at  the  oar,  but  the  offer  was  declined.  The  shouts 
and  screams  of  the  Indians,  which  had  followed  me  into 
the  water,  and  rung  hideously  in  my  ears  while  struggling 
for  life  in  the  surf,  were  kept  up  till  distance  made  them 
inaudible.  Whether  they  found  the  watch,  whose  myste- 
rious tick  at  once  awed  and  delighted  them,  and  restored  it 
to  its  place  of  state  in  the  chief's  lodge,  or  whether  it  still 
lies  rusting  in  the  sands  by  the  sea-shore,  is  a  problem  un- 
solved. 

The  boat  at  last  grounded  on  the  northern  shore  of  the 
island.  Mr.  Hall,  the  gentleman  who  commanded  the 
party,  supported  my  tottering  frame  in  landing,  and,  as 
we  stepped  upon  the  shore,  welcomed  me  to  their  island. 
I  grasped  his  hand  and  stammered  my  thanks  for  this  de- 
liverance, and  lifted  a  tearful  eye  to  heaven  in  silent 
gratitude  to  God.  I  was  then  pointed  to  a  cabin  near  by, 
where  a  comfortable  fire  was  ready  for  me.  "Now,"  I 
heard  Mr.  Hall  say,  "  let  us  fire  a  salute  of  welcome  to  the 
stranger.  Make  ready!  Present!  Fire!"  Off  went  all 
their  muskets,  and  a  very  cordial  salute  it  appeared  to  be. 


INDEX. 


PAGB 

A  Hunter's  Christmas  Dinner  .    .  J.  S.  Campion 124 

Alaska,  A  Summer  Trip  to.    .    .    .  James  A.  Habrison 289 

Alligators,  Among  Florida  .    .    .    .  S.  C.  Clarke 74 

Arctic  Seas,  Fugitives  from  the   .  Elishe  Kent  Kane 210 

Bacon,  Alfred  Terry A  Colorado  "Round-Up"    .    .    .   133 

Bourne,  Benjamin  F An  Escape  from  Captivity    .    .    274 

Bradford,  Louis  C Among  the  Cowboys 141 

Bryant,  Henry  G The  Grand  Falls  of  Labrador  .    189 

Buffalo,  Hunting  the  .......  Washington  Irving 147 

Campion,  J.  S A  Hunter's  Christmas  Dinner  .  114 

Canadian  Woods,   Hunting  Scenes 

in  the B.  A.  Watson 178 

Captivity,  An  Escape  from.    .    .    .  Benjamin  F.  Bourne   ....   274 
Carver,  Jonathan The  Fort  William  Henry  Mas- 
sacre  249 

Clarke,   S.   C Among  Florida  Alligators.    .    .     74 

Clarke,  William The  Great  Falls  of  the  Missouri  168 

CoLLis,  Septima  M The  Muir  Glacier 230 

Colorado  Round-TJp,  A Alfred  Terry  Bacon    ....  133 

Country  of  the  Sioux Meriwether  Lewis 157 

Cowboys.  Among  the Louis  C.  Bradford 141 

Darwin,  Charles Valparaiso  and  Its  Vicinity  .    .   265 

Death,  Rescued  from W.  S.  Schley 220 

Down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi.    .  Thomas  L.  Nichols 94 

Escape,  An,  from  Captivity    .    .    .  Benjamin  F.  Bourne   ....   274 

Esquimaux,  Life  Among  the  .    .    .  William  Edward  Parrt  .    .    .   200 

Featherstonhaugh,  G.  W.    .    .   .  Winter  on  the  Prairies.    .    .    .   114 

Florida  Alligators,  Among  .    .    .    .  S.  C.  Clarke 74 

Fort  William  Henry  Massacre,  The  Jonathan  Carver 249 

Fugitives  from  the  Arctic  Seas.    .  Elisha  Kent  Kane 210 

Gaucho,  The  and  His  Horse   .    .    .  Thomas  J.  Hutchinson  .    .    .  257 

Glacier,  The  Muir Septima  M.  Collis 230 

Grand  Falls  of  Labrador,  The   .    .  Henry  G.  Bryant 189 

Great  Falls  of  the  Missouri    .    .    .  William   Clarke 168 

Harrison,  James  A A  Summer  Trip  to  Alaska  .    .   239 

Horse,  The  Gaucho  and  His  .    .    .  Thomas  J.  Hutchinson   .    .    .  257 

Hunter's  Christmas  Dinner,  A   .    .  J.  S.  Campion 124 

Hunting  Scenes  in  the  Canadian 

Woods B.  A.  Watson 178 

Hunting  the  Buffalo Washington   Irving 147 

Hutchinson,  Thomas  J The  Gaucho  and  His  Horse  .    .   257 

In  the  Mammoth  Cave Therese  Telverton S3 

Irving,  Washington Hunting  the  Buffalo 147 

Kane,  Elisha  Kent Fugitives  from  the  Arctic  Seas  210 


INDEX. 

PAGE 

Labrador,  the  Grand  Falls  of    .    .    Henkt  C.  Bryant 189 

Latham,   Hbnky From  New  York  to  Washington 

in  1866 39 

Leigh,  Oliver  H.  G New  Dependencies  of  the  Unit- 
ed States  9 

Lewis,  Meriwether In  the  Country  of  the  Sioux   .   157 

Life  Among  the  Esquimaux  .    .    .    William  Edward  Parky  .    .    .  200 

Mammoth  Cave,  In  the Therese  Yelverton 83 

Massacre,  The  Fort  William  Henry  Jonathan  Carver 249 

Mississippi,  Down  the  Ohio  and   .  Thomas  L.  Nichols 94 

Missouri,  The  Great  Falls  of  the  .  William  Clarke 168 

Muir  Glacier,  The Septima  M.  Collis 230 

Natural  Bridge  and  Tunnel  of  Vir- 
ginia    Edward  A.  Pollard 49 

New  Dependencies  of  the  United 

States Oliver  H.  G.  Leigh 9 

New  England,  Winter  and  Summer 

in Harriet   Martineau 22 

New  Orleans  to  Red  River,  From  .  Frederick   Law   Olmsted   .    .  104 

New  Yorls  to  Washington  in  1866  .    Henry  Latham 89 

Niagara   Falls   and  the   Thousand 

Islands Charles  Morris 81 

Nichols,  Thomas  L Down  the  Ohio  and  Mississippi  94 

Ohio  and  Mississippi,  Down  the   .    Thomas  L.  Nichols 94 

Olmsted,  Frederick  Law.    .    .    .    From  New  Orleans  to  Red  River  104 

Parry,  William  Edward   ....    Life  Among  the  Esquimaux.    .   200 
Plantation  Life  in  War  Times   .    .    William  Howard  Russell.    .      62 

Pollard,  Edward  A Natural   Bridge  and  Tunnel  of 

Virginia 49 

Prairies,  Winter  on  the G.  W.  Featherstonhaugh  .   .  114 

Red  River,  From  New  Orleans  to  .  Frederick  Law  Olmsted  .    .  104 

Rescued  from   Death W.   S.    Schley 220 

Round-Up,  A  Colorado Alfred  Terry  Bacon   ....  133 

Russell,  William  Howard  .    .    .  Plantation  Life  in  War  Times   .  62 

Schley,  W.  S Rescued  from  Death 220 

Sioux,  In  the  Country  of  the  .    .    .    Meriwether  Lewis 157 

Summer  Trip  to  Alaslja,  A.    .    .    .    James  A.  Harrison 239 

Thousand  Islands,  The,  and  Niag-  , 

ara  Falls Charles  Morris    .....__.     31 

United  States,   New  Dependencies 

of  the Oliver  H.  G.  Leigh 9 

Valparaiso  and  Its  Vicinity   .    .    .    Charles  Darwin 265 

Virginia,  Natural  Bridge  and  Tun- 
nel of  Edward  A.  Pollard 49 

War  Times,  Plantation  Life  in  .    .    William  Howard  Russell  .   .     62 

Washington    in    1866,    From    New 

York  to Henry  Latham 39 

Watson,  B.  A Hunting  Scenes  in  the  Canadian 

Woods 178 

Winter  and  Summer  in  New  Eng- 
land     Harriet  Martineau 22 

Winter  on  the  Prairies G.  W.  Featherstonhaugh  .   .  114 

Yelverton,  Therese ,   In  the  Mammoth  Cave  ....     83 

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